Master thesis

How Does Social Media Marketing Impact

the Consumer Decision-making in Nigeria.

Author: Chinonso David Ozioma

Examiner: Anders Pehrsson

Semester: 23VT

Course code: 5FE05E

Subject: Business Administration

with Specialization in Marketing

Level: Master thesis

 Abstract
This study investigated the effect of social media marketing on consumer patronage decision
making with specific focus on small businesses in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. To achieve
this, three specific objectives were created, such as to: ascertain the effect of social media
marketing on consumer patronage intention; examine the effect of social media marketing on
consumer patronage and determine the effect of social media marketing on repeat purchase. To
accomplish the set objectives, data were obtained via the use of structured questionnaire, which
were distributed and majority retrieved, sorted then the correctly filled copies typed into the SPSS
software for analysis. The collected data were tabulated and represented in charts, this was
followed with detailed explanations. Through the regression analysis, the study findings showed
that; social media marketing significantly impact consumer patronage intention, consumer
patronage and repeat purchase. Based on the findings the study recommended that small business
owners should extensively leverage on the social media campaign for effective communication of
their product/service offering to social media users. Small business owners should be consistent in
engaging social media users as a means of marketing the benefits of their products because it helps
to instill confidence in consumers who is showing interest in their product/service offering. Small
business owners should endevour to deliver quality experience to consumers as they eventually
patronize their product offerings for the first time. Small business owners should be open to receive
feedbacks after a consumer patronize their product offerings.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENT PAGES
CHAPTER 1 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background to the study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 3
1.3 Objective of the Study 5
1.4 Research Questions 5
1.5 Research Hypotheses 5
1.6 Scope of the Study 5
1.7 Significance of the Study 6
CHAPTER 2 8
LITERATURE REVIEW 8
2.1 Conceptual Review 8
2.1.1 Social Media Marketing 8
2.1.2 Consumer Decision Making 10
2.1.2.1 Consumer Patronage Intention 13
2.1.2.2 Consumer Patronage 14
2.1.2.3 Repeat Patronage 14
2.1.3 The Relationship between Social Media Marketing and Consumer
Decision Making 15
2.1.4 How Social Media Marketing Affects the Patronage Intention of Consumers 16
2.1.5 The Role of Social Media Marketing in Influencing Consumer Patronage 18
2.1.6 The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Repeat Patronage 19
2.2 Theoretical Review 20
2.2.1 Rationality in Action Theory 20
2.2.2 The Acceptance of New Technologies Model Davis 21
2.2.3 Planned Behaviour Theory 22
2.2.4 The original research that this analysis is based on 24
2.3 Summary of Literature 24
CHAPTER 3 26

METHODOLOGY 26

3.1 Research Design 26

3.2 Research Approach 26

3.3 Research Paradigms 26

3.4 Data Collection 28

3.5 Population of the study 29

3.6 Sample size determination and Sampling Technique 30

3.7 Research Instrument 31

3.8 Research Instrument Validity and Reliability 31

3.9 Method of Data Analysis 31

3.10 Ethical Considerations 32

3.11 Limitation to the study 32

CHAPTER 4 33

EMPIRICAL FINDINGS 33

4.1 Data Presentation 33

4.1.1 Demographic Data of Respondents 33

4.2 Univariate Analysis of Responses Data Obtained from Respondents on variables 36

4.3 Bivariate Analysis 43

4.3.1 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage Intention 43

4.3.2 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage 45
4.3.3 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage 46

CHAPTER 5 48

DISCUSION OF FINDINGS 48

CHAPTER 6 51

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 51

6.1 Summary of Findings 51

6.1.1 Implication of the Findings 51

6.2 Conclusion 52

6.3 Contribution to Knowledge 52

6.3.1 Concepts 52

6.4 Recommendations 53

6.5 Suggestion for Further Studies 53

 TABLE OF TABLES

CONTENT PAGES

Table 3.1: Chronbach Reliability Analysis 31

Table 4.1: Gender of Respondents 33

Table 4.2: Age Bracket of Respondents 34

Table 4.3 Educational Qualification of Respondents 35

Table 4.4 Responses on Social Media Marketing 37

Table 4.5: Responses on Consumer Patronage Intention 38

Table 4.6: Responses on Consumer Patronage 40

Table 4.7: Responses on Repeat Purchase 41

Table 4.8: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research Question One 43

Table 4.9: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis one 43

Table 4.10: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question one 44

Table 4.11: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research

Question Two 45

Table 4.12: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis two 45

Table 4.13: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question Two 45

Table 4.14: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research

Question Three 46

Table 4.15: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis Three 46

Table 4.16: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question Three 46
 TABLE OF FIGURES

CONTENT PAGES

Figure 4.1: Pictorial representation of gender of respondents 34

Figure 4.2: Pictorial representation of age bracket of respondents 35

Figure 4.4: Bar chart distribution on Social Media Marketing Survey Responses 37

Figure 4.5: Bar chart distribution on Consumer Patronage Intention Survey Responses 39

Figure 4.6: Bar chart distribution on Consumer Patronage Survey Responses 40

Figure 4.7: Bar chart distribution on Repeat Patronage Survey Responses 42

 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Since inception of doing business, consumers have remained enthroned as the kings whose
decisions are regularly sort-after and analysed to guide the approach of marketers. This is why
forward thinking organisations, especially small and medium scale enterprise, must constantly
undertake reviews of facts that help them know how and why consumer act in a certain way,
making their buying decisions help organisations enhance their marketing strategies. It is generally
agreed by scholars and practitioners that one of the greatest challenge faced by all marketers
currently is how to influence the purchase decision of consumers in favour of their product and
service (Hawkins, Motherbaugh & Best, 2007).

Invariably, the understanding of the consumer buying behavior exposes the marketing team of an
organization on the psychology of the feelings, thinking, argument and selection of consumer
towards retail outlet, brands and products choices. Also, this quest into the buying choice making
of the consumer usually involve his/her environmental issues like culture, family as well as media.
It further sheds light on the motives and unique approach the consumer utilizes in choosing a given
product in the face of competition. Consequently, the accurate grasp of consumer decision making
should effectively improve the marketing campaign strategies aimed at reaching target consumers.

Interestingly, the advent of internet has provided the platform for a thriving social media marketing
concept which create a unique approach on how consumers can be engaged. The social medial
marketing refers to a virtual business landscape that can leverage on several popular social
networks to actualize set branding and marketing targets. Presently, the increasing information
technological development have altered everything globally and as a result things are changing
very fast. Also with the advent of social medial applications (like Facebook, Twitter, Likedin,
Youtube, Google+ etc) and other digital communication devices, people’s interactive space have
drastically shifted from offline to almost 100% online (trattner & Kappe 2012). Obviously, with
the growth in the information technological innovation, the level of dependence on the social
media platforms is on the increase as many people become more addicted with the use of this space

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to solve almost all their daily need (Ziyadin, Doszhan, Borodin, Omarova & llyas, 2019;
Madhuhansi, 2019).

The social media frenzy have provided a unique opportunities to consumers to engage on the
internet interaction irrespective of differences in distance, time, race, culture or background. It is
now easier for customers to generate content, build valuable relationships, express emotions as
they effectively communicate with other users in real time. Similarly, marketers takes advantage
of this to gain vantage position in a market as they also signup on each of these networks with the
aim of engaging target audience.

Today, firms now have special medial teams to manage their products or service on the internet,
in some cases a whole department is setup for social medial to interface with other units in the
organization so as to constantly push out campaigns about their offerings to engage their target
audience. For example, floating a social medial contest aimed at engaging and growing followers,
creating valuable resource via the social medial handle, championing thought provoking discuss
that makes followers lend their opinions, going live as you keep series of conversation going etc.
consist some of the marketing strategies leveraged on social media networks to grow and engage
target audience.

The above social media marketing strategies finds its expressions through social media Ads, social
media word of mouth, users’ presence time on social media, user’s exposure time on social media,
user’s number of social media account and user’s level of trust in social media on a consumer
buying decision making process. According to Kaplan and Haelein (2010) social media is the most
popular new media platform today. The proliferation of social media, marketing messages are now
very well individualized. Baines, Fill and Cage (2008) posited that social media promote
immediate physical, cognitive and emotional responses in the audience. This shows how the advent
of social media have revolutionalized the marketing practices and processes, because of obvious
unique features. Indeed social media marketing brings about a new strategy in marketing which
virtually all businesses are adopting to reach their target audience via several virtual networks
(Khan and Jan, 2017), therefore, it can never be underrated (Terfa, Alu, Tarnong & Ogba 2013).

To this end, small business owners in emerging nations like Nigeria need to strategically leverage
on the potentials of social media marketing so as to reach large amount of consumers seeing that
they are have limited resources required to carryout big marketing campaigns for their product

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offerings. The use of internet facilities through phones information, markets, technology and
trainings can be accessed easily. This development in the Nigerian business space is attributed to
the deregulation of its telecommunication sector in 2002 after the emergence of a democratic
dispensation in 1999. Since then, Nigeria has joined the global space to leverage on the potentials
of social media after it started from 2004. Thousands of retail outlets have emerged, marketers in
highly competitive industries like the telecommunication, banking, hospitality, manufacturing etc
actively engage social media users on daily bases with frequent social media marketing adverts,
gossips, helpful contents and opinion sampling all in the bid to engage consumers. They also use
the social media networks to prospect, close sales and facilitate effective deliveries of their
products orderings.

Consequently, consumers are now engaged more than ever through series of activities like
blogging, chatting, gaming and texting through the influence of social media. Data shows that
about 200 million active Facebooks users log on every day and spend over 455 billion minutes on
monthly bases on the internet (Chukwu & Uzoma, 214). This explains why every growth oriented
firm now uses social media to undertake their marketing strategy, especially the retail marketing.
So, with the advent of social medial creating virtual social networks in real time, consumer are
able to expressively assert their position as the real essence why businesses are done globally. On
the other hand social media provide organisations with access to new resources for having direct
interaction with customers.

Therefore, small firms in Nigeria must understand how social media has affected consumer buying
decision making (Ola and Reem, 2018). It has also become expedient to undertake this research
with aim at examining the influence of social media marketing on the consumer decision making
process in Nigeria, with focus of firms that user social media for the purpose of marketing.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The Nigerian economy is largely run by the informal sector which is dominated by micro, small
and medium scale enterprises. According to the report from the International Monetary Fund the
informal economy in Nigeria employs more than 80 percent of the population. This informal sector
of the Nigerian ecosystem is associated with a small or undefined workplaces which are mostly
unsafe with unhealthy working conditions, not regulated, with low level skills and productivity,
irregular incomes, they work longer hours and lack access to enough vital basic resources like

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information, markets, finance, technology and trainings. All of these enumerated characteristics
create a huge challenge for small businesses to thrive in the face of competition for customers
against already established large firms, because these large firms have access to resources that help
them fund marketing campaigns used in shaping consumer’s decision making towards their
product offerings.

It is on the heels of these challenges that a study on the effect of social media marketing on
consumer buying decision is perceived necessary in order to understand the contributions of the
social media technology in facilitating buying decision of consumers at the small business level.
The advent of the internet have made the world a single global village where with little access to
resources like android mobile phones an attractive marketing ads of a product offering can be
promoted, target audience can be accessed directly and sales/purchases can be closed with very
little cost. Through this innovation small businesses are able to access the right information,
technology and trainings to access the same market.

It is evident that social media networks have come to stay and they are fast shaping the way people
communicate as people spend most of their time more interacting through viewing of different
pages, clicking to like, comment or share a post that interest them. This indeed shows that the
social media is the future main stream for consumer marketing and have largely responded
according to this fundamental shift. The most recent report from digital around the world in 2022
showed that social media has become the most visited destination on the internet. This report
further revealed that 4.59 billion people use the internet, amongst which 4.62 billion people use
the social media and this make up 58.4% of the world’s total population. The growth rate of these
social media users is estimated at 10.1% yearly and average social media user visit or use 7.5
different social media networks monthly. This is followed with the average global user spending
2 hours 27 minutes on social media daily. In addition, the report also showed that the world spends
more than 10 billion hours using social media on daily bases, indicating the assertions on how the
world is shifting their regular daily life to online platforms.

Therefore, for a city like Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State Nigeria, whose government
have been able to achieve the successful registration of 1200 small businesses, it is important for
these small business owners to understand the dynamics associated with consumer decision
making online seeing the growth rate of social media users. This brought about the interest to

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undertake a survey which helps to explain the effect of consumer decision making from the
perspective of small businesses. Consumer is the life wire of any firm, so with small business (both
registered and unregistered) providing 80 percent of work to the entire Nigerian economy. So
knowing the role social media marketing play in shaping consumer patronage intention, actual
consumer patronage and repeat purchase is very crucial to providing informed recommendation to
small business owners within this region.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the effect of social media marketing and consumer
decision making of consumers in Rivers State Nigeria. The objectives of the study is as follows:

i. To ascertain the effect of social media marketing on consumer patronage intention

ii. To ascertain the effect of social media marketing on consumer patronage
iii. To ascertain the effect of social media marketing on repeat purchase

1.4 Research Questions

i. What effect does social media marketing have on consumer patronage intention?
ii. How does social media marketing affect consumer patronage?
iii. What effect does social media marketing have on repeat purchase?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

i. Ho1: Social media marketing have no significant effect on consumer patronage intention.
ii. Ho2: Social media marketing have no significant effect on consumer patronage.
iii. Ho3: Social media marketing have no significant effect on repeat purchase.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The aim of this study is fixed on social media marketing effect on consumer decision making. The
study focused on Rivers State Nigeria. The population of this study comprised of all registered
small business owners with online presence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The choice of small
business owner was informed by the fact that larger population of small businesses in Port Harcourt
are youth and in recent times the rate at which individual account holders engage in the advertising
of either a product or service have become easy and regular occurrence. Also, seeing the growth

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rate in the utilization of social media networks, it becomes expedient to study how effective it is
to the success of small business in achieving patronage for the goods/services they sell.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is reflected in four vital points, which include; practices in
management, industry, society and government and this is discussed as follows:

Practices in Management: the findings gleaned from this study will enable managers of firm to
be informed of the relevance of the importance of leveraging on social media marketing at a
globalize time as now. The findings will as well make it easier for management to maximize the
impact of their efforts to increase online firm production in pursuit of their stated goals. In addition,
new forms of electronic business, facilitated through the convergence of electronic devices,
communication, designs and control technology play a vital role. By these managers will be enable
to network production, marketing and distribution channels located all over the globe. This is
especially useful to facilitate transactions and services, therefore, if this is handled well by
management, it will improve prime changes for performance and profitability

Industries: Nigerian industry will reach an agreement because it would give them with the tools
for significantly expanding commerce in the global market and exposing them to new stresses in
the global trading environment. This will significantly contribute to the growth of the Nigerian
economy and the internationalisation of Nigerian companies. In order to reap the advantages of
global capital and the spread of specialist products and professional services via the so-called
global marketplace of social media, corporate bodies will be assisted in finding a situation in which
they must restructure and reposition themselves.

Governance: The study's author is certain that its findings will help policymakers in Nigeria see
that the rise of social media is inevitable and appreciate the significance of developing an accurate
understanding of the medium's potential effects and applications. By stimulating national
economic growth, the changes in policy brought about by this study's recommendations will spark
a new way of dealing with the e-commerce issue.

Social Responsibility: Insight into the process by which social media may be utilised to execute
growth and education on the idea of social media as a tool to change market restrictions into
positive business possibilities are both provided by the research. Researchers interested in

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consumer spending habits or social media will also benefit from this study. As a result of adding
to the existing body of knowledge, it would be of interest to academics. This is the starting point
for every educated person in the area. University professors and scientists in far-flung labs may
use this as a common resource.

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Conceptual Review

2.1.1 Social Media Marketing

Marketing literatures describes social media as "platforms" where people may find and interact
with others who share their interests and ideas. As "dynamic, interconnected, egalitarian, and
interactive organisms" (Peters et al., 2013, p. 281), social media have caused three fundamental
shifts in the market. To begin, social media makes it feasible for brands to directly interact with
their desired demographic in ways that just weren't possible before. Microblogging and content
communities like Facebook and Twitter make it simple for users to connect with others who share
their interests (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). In this context, "social connectedness" refers to the
same thing as "social ties" (Muller and Peres 2019; Quinton and Wilson 2016), with "strong" and
"weak" denotations referring to the depth and breadth of the links, respectively (Granovetter 1973).
Previous studies have shown that the strength of a customer's social ties has a considerable impact
on their propensity to make referrals (Verlegh et al., 2013).

In addition, the proliferation of social media has dramatically altered the influence and interaction
between companies and their customers. When individuals interact with one another, they engage
in "actions," either proactively via discussion or receptively through observation, that influence
the choices and behaviours of others (Chen et al., 2011). Nair et al. (2010) use the words "word-
of-mouth" effect and "contagion effects" to explain the influence of such informal exchanges. The
size and quality of a company's social network is correlated to the value of social interactions (also
termed "social equity"), as stated by Muller and Peres (2019). Recent studies (e.g., Aral and Walker
2014; Katona et al. 2011) have shown that a person's social network activity may be gleaned from
the strength and frequency of their connections to others. In line with the widely held opinion, this
supports the hypothesis that social media has a substantial impact on consumers' decision-making
processes.

Furthermore, companies can now better manage their relationships with customers and make
informed business decisions because to the wealth of information available via social media (Libai
et al., 2010). Data from social media and other digital sources are commonly described using the

8
"3Vs" (Alharthi et al., 2017): volume, variety of sources, and velocity (how often data is updated).
With the help of modern information technology, as pointed out by Moe and Schweidel (2017), it
is possible to easily extract and profitably use a massive amount of information gleaned from social
networking sites, blogs, and forums, in written, visual, and auditory formats. Therefore, the ability
to capture and create value from social media data is a new strategic resource that has the potential
to improve marketing outcomes (Gnizy, 2019). Useful for consumer research, market analysis,
and idea generation through crowdsourcing.

MySpace and Facebook are credited with popularising the term "social media" (Duangruthai &
Leslie, 2018). Web 2.0 allowed users to form networks and share information such as text
documents, video clips, and even whole websites (Constantinides, 2014). According to the
explanations of Web 2.0 and UGC offered by According to Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), social
media is the "interconnected web of technologies that enables the production and sharing of works
by ordinary people." UGC refers to data that has been produced by users. Content communities
(such as YouTube), social networking (such as Facebook), and community projects (such as
Wikipedia and blogs) are how Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) categorise the many types of social
media.

"Consumer Media" (Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2014) defines social media as "a wide range of new
information sources produced and used by consumers that wish to share information on any subject
of interest with others" Approximately About a quarter of humanity, or 1.73 billion people, are
active social media users; by 2017, the number is expected to rise to 2.55 billion worldwide
(Schivinski, Christodoulides, & Daly, 2017). As a marketing tool for the investigation of social
media, many experts see cellphones and the internet (Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2014) because of how
users report, co-produce, analyse, and edit User content. This change in perspective has resulted
in businesses using their consumers as the primary focus of their marketing and branding activities
(Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2014).

Businesses have a harder time gauging the effect of their social media presence on brand
recognition and engagement than they do with traditional media such as print or television
commercials. It may be challenging for firms to respond to negative feedback when marketing on
social media (Ho-Dac, Carson, & Moore, 2013; Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2014), yet such feedback
is an inevitable and integral part of the brand conversation. Consumers are often referenced in

9
discussions and debates about branding, yet their contributions to the branding and advertising
processes are typically downplayed or ignored (Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2014).

There are three major social networking sites: Facebook, YouTube as well as Twitter used by firms
to promote their brand, some assert that Facebook is "a holy grail to marketing operators"
(Michael, 2017). As proposed by Nelson-Field, Riebe, and Sharp (2012) and Shen and Bissell
(2013), marketing strategies that use Facebook reviews for specific items and brands (or "as"
content) produce more content in general. Facebook users are more likely to see ads for things
they've showed interest in (Shen & Bissell, 2013). Marketers may utilise this information to
improve their tactics, target audiences, and advertising in hopes of getting the best reaction
possible from their consumers.

Marketing Using Social Networks

This is an element of material shared on social media platforms with the goal of inspiring action
and raising awareness, as described by Hanaysha (2016). Paid social media advertising, or paid
social for short, is the practise of promoting a business or product on social media sites in exchange
for financial compensation (Raza, Mohamad, & Abubakar, 2017). Advertising is seen positively
by consumers because it provides them with useful information about products, allowing them to
make well-informed purchases (Pollay & Mittal, 1993). Consumers' perceptions of companies and
their willingness to buy are influenced by commercially accessible social media advertising (Yang
& Wang, 2015). Instagram (which optimises photographs and videos), Twitter, YouTube (through
short video stories), Tiktok, Pinterest (which has a mostly female audience), and LinkedIn (which
has a largely professional audience) are just a few of the numerous social networking networks
accessible.

2.1.2 Consumer Decision Making

Given its importance, the consumer decision-making process has been described in a variety of
ways by many experts, each of whom has proposed their own unique set of models to explain it.
Consumers' choices and purchases are seen as means rather than ends by Rassuli and Harrell
(1990). This concept takes into account the influence that consumers' choices have on their
subsequent actions. Consumers' decisions may be influenced by any or all of the functional,
conditional, social, epistemic, and emotional values proposed by Sheth, Newman, and Gross

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(1991). Considering the external impacts of the pre-purchase, in-store, and post-purchase phases
of the consumer journey all include online marketing, the social-cultural setting, and psychological
challenges on consumer tasks and attitude. Smith and Rupp (2003) suggested an internet-based
definition of consumer decision making as such. Consumer decision making, as described by
Court, Elzinga, Mulder, and Vetnik (2009), follows a circular pattern, with pre-purchase research
and consideration, an evaluation or research phase to determine whether or not to purchase, and
finally, post-purchase reflection on the product's usefulness. Kotler and Keller's (2012) five-stage
model for explaining the buyer's journey includes: identifying a need, gathering relevant
information, weighing available options, making a purchase, and adjusting behaviour thereafter.
Additionally, Belch and Belch (2009) elaborated by describing the critical, inward psychological
processes that occur at each of the five phases of the consumer purchasing process. Motive,
perception, attitude development, integration, and education all fall under this category.

Stankevich (2017) elaborated on the consumer decision making models proposed by Kotler and
Keller (2012) and Belch and Belch (2009). According to Stankevich (2017), a customer has
entered the need recognition stage once they realise they need a product or service. Meanwhile, it
is up to marketers to figure out how to bridge the gap between where customers are now and where
they would want to be in the future. It's important to remember that the internal stimuli might be
anything as simple as an instant need, or as complex as an impulse. There is also the possibility of
environmental factors acting as a trigger. So, using tools like advertising and sales promotions,
marketers manufacture demand. However, a desire is born when a customer realises that a product
will meet a previously unfulfilled need (Stankevich, 2017).

Marketers need to know when their intended consumers have these needs so that they may best
advertise to them. Marketers will sometimes aid customers in determining what it is they really
need. Similarly, marketers fabricate conditions or needs that make consumers feel vulnerable
without the goods. There are a variety of elements, such as the desire for a specific status and the
availability of information about their new status, such as a new product version, rival or
complementary items.

When a need is identified, it triggers a chain reaction that culminates in a search for available
solutions that meet that need. At this point, the shopper is doing research from both inside and
beyond in order to make a well-informed decision. Using one's own memory is an example of an

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internal information search, while searching externally entails scanning the environment, inquiring
of other people, searching libraries, archives, the internet, and any relevant social media sites or
blogs. Customers' time spent researching options is critical in this situation. It's up to marketers to
grasp the opportunity and provide a detailed explanation of the product, updated discounts, and
other incentives. We will also take into account comments left by past customers and suggestions
made by friends and relatives. Personal experience with the product or one like it, as well as sample
testing conducted during the search, will also play a role.

Based on Kotler and Keller's (2012) explanation of the consumer decision-making process, the
third stage is when consumers assess the merits of the many options they have been presented
with. In the third and final stage of decision making, the question "Do I actually need the product?"
may enter the mind of the buyer. Is there anything else we can try? Is it true that the original version
is terrible? When making a purchase, consumers often place more weight on some factors than
others (price, quality, brand name recognition, etc.). Moments of decision may include forming an
emotional connection with a product, caving in to advertising, or any combination of these. At this
point, it's vital for businesses to make sure buyers are acquainted with their product and, preferably,
knowledgeable about the trait on which they base their purchase decision. The onus is on the
consumer to take the initiative and look for the best deal. Customers have different standards for
what they consider to be a good deal based on factors like as price, quality, brand, positioning,
where to buy (location), possible consequences of usage, and so on.

The purchase phase is the fourth and final stage in Kotler and Keller's (2012) consumer buying
process model. At this stage, the buyer has decided on a product and is ready to make a purchase.
After making up one's mind on a certain brand, the following step is to make the actual buy.
Similarly, buyers may first determine that they want to acquire a thing but change their minds
before actually buying it. Possible alternatives include deciding whether or not to haggle over the
price, how much to spend, and when to go shopping. The period between deciding to buy
something and actually making the purchase may be rather long, especially for larger ticket items
like automobiles, computers, and consumer durables. Nondurable commodities, including many
low-involvement items like everyday consumables, may have a relatively short period between the
time of decision to buy and the time of purchase. It is now more crucial than ever to engage a
consumer so deeply that they are prepared to wait for a transaction.

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Kotler and Keller's (2012) model for decoding the buyer's journey includes a post-purchase phase
as the fifth stage. What matters most now is how the product makes the customer feel after they
have used it, which might be a positive or negative experience. Customers rate their satisfaction
with a product after they've used it. The customer may have concerns such as whether or not the
product satisfied the demands of the intended audience. Have their expectations been met? In the
second phase of the customer journey, after the customer has had success with the product, they
may become an advocate for the product and urge others to make a purchase. The same is true for
unfavourable remarks, which, if brought to light during stage two, may cause a potential customer
to reconsider their interest in your products. If the customer is unhappy at this stage, it is critical
to act quickly. If the customer is satisfied, they are more likely to purchase from you again. In this
case, the items either lived up to or beyond customer expectations. Customer loyalty may be
strengthened by follow-up actions after a transaction is made.

The evaluated model proposed by Kotler and Keller (2012) suggests that the buy intent, customer
patronage, and repeat purchase rates are the best indicators of the quality of the consumer decision
making process. Customer patronage intention is the likelihood that a customer would buy a
specific product or brand given the level of knowledge currently accessible to them, as stated by
Sam, Fazli, and Tahir (2009). This description reflects the model's steps of identifying a need,
locating relevant information, and evaluating the merits of potential solutions. Meanwhile,
consumer patronage occurs when a buyer selects a product of their choosing and afterwards makes
a purchase and pays for it (Grewal & Levy, 2010). Then, the concept of repeat purchase addresses
consumers' propensity to buy again from an established business. As a result, we conduct a
comprehensive assessment of consumer decision making metrics.

2.1.2.1 Consumer Patronage Intention

Sales may be increased by a service provider by improving their products in ways that better meet
customer needs. According to Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), consumers' propensity to purchase is an
excellent indicator of their actual purchasing behaviour. Purchase intent describes a consumer's
propensity to make a future purchase of a service or item.

Zeithaml (1988) claims that the value that customers place on a product is the deciding factor for
whether or not a company would buy it. An abundance of literature has been produced on the topic
of regulatory focus theory (Wirtz & Lwin, 2009; Brockner, Higgins, & Low, 2004). Consumer

13
decision making study show that consumers' perceptions of a product's value determine whether
or not they intend to make a purchase at a physical store. As a result, it seems reasonable to infer
that customers' tendency to buy is influenced by the value of the goods in question. Intentions to
purchase are reflective of the emotional connection between a product and its purchasers. To
measure customers' intent to purchase, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) offer three separate components:
"possible buy," "intended buy," and "consider buy."

2.1.2.2 Consumer Patronage

In order to create, manufacture, and disseminate items that meet customers' actual wants and
requirements, it's crucial to have a firm grasp of the psychological factors that play a role in their
purchase choices. There are five stages that customers go through before settling on a product or
brand to support. There are five stages in the purchasing process: need recognition, information
collection, consideration of alternatives, selection, and post-purchase management (Grewal &
Levy, 2010). Customers are always making choices that need them to select one course of action
from many alternatives. Even though all decisions are made with some level of thought, the choice
of the economic man is quite different from the choice of the passive, cognitive, or emotional man.
Each shopper's decision to purchase is affected by their own set of biopsychosocial factors.

2.1.2.3 Repeat Patronage

When clients repeatedly buy from the same business or remain with the same brand over a long
period of time, they demonstrate intellectual, emotional, and physical assurance in the service's or
good's quality via their "repeat purchase." Re-patronage intention, also known as repeat purchase,
is a term proposed by Wirtz and Lwin (2009) to characterise a customer's inclination to shop from
a certain services provider again in the future. When a buyer and a seller have faith in one another,
it increases the likelihood that the transaction will occur. Customers are more likely to return to a
business if they have faith in the integrity of its service providers (Caudill & Murphy, 2000).
Increases in the value of subsequent purchases made by a client are signs that they are happy with
their experience with the company and want to continue doing business with it.

Since the cost of acquiring a new customer is not included in, a rise in the percentage of sales made
to current customers may have a substantial influence on a company's bottom line. Increasing the
likelihood that customers will buy from a company again may be accomplished in part by listening

14
to and acting on suggestions, ideas, feedback, and complaints about the product or service given.
Companies should emphasise fostering client loyalty, which may be shown by frequent purchases.
Repeat business from pleased and satisfied consumers is a strong indicator of a company's
continued success.

2.1.3 The Relationship between Social Media Marketing and Consumer Decision Making

A consumer's ultimate purchasing decision is heavily influenced by the product or service's

qualities, quality, price, and characteristics. No of the results of prior transactions, research shows
that consumers remember their experiences for as long as feasible (Keller, 2008). The internet's
broad availability makes checking one's social media pages a snap. Social media's meteoric rise
has made it an attractive option for brands seeking to reach their target audience (Renu, 2018).
Better customer service, product variety, price, and individualised recommendations are all
feasible because of the real-time data and interactive nature of social media platforms. Internet
stores have a competitive advantage via the utilisation of social media platforms compared to
conventional stores (Turban, King, Lee, & Liang, 2015).

The effect of social media on customer decision making is widespread and might affect any service
or product. The quality, reputation, marketing, and cost of a product may all be affected by
consumer choice. Customers' reactions to advertisements, brand loyalty, and purchase intent may
be influenced by social media connections. Purchasing and its accompanying activities have been
revolutionised by social media. There are many benefits to which social media marketing poses
but conventional advertising lack (Renu, 2019). Since consumers are increasingly shopping for
products online through social media. There are certain positive aspects of social media marketing.
An overwhelming majority (89%) and a sizable majority (75%), respectively, of marketers believe
that social media advertising has enhanced both brand awareness and website visits.

Brand actions, and hence consumers' purchasing choices, might be influenced by social media.
The first impression that a product or brand makes on a consumer may have a significant impact
on their subsequent purchase choices. What other users of a certain social media network think
about a brand may be heavily influenced by a customer's positive review of that brand on that
platform. However, consumers' perceptions and behaviours of brands may change as a result of
promotional marketing on social media (Yang, 2012). Marketers may use this data as a starting

15
point for their strategies. To promote their wares, several companies have turned to social media.
It's a simple and inexpensive method of reaching out to clients and promoting offerings.

Connecting businesses with their target audiences is another useful use of online networking sites.
Customers both current and prospective may reach a company's representative directly via social
media. According to a separate research by Vinerean, Cetina, and Tichindelean (2013). Brands
and services utilise social media to sell their wares since that is where the majority of their
consumers do their product research and ultimately make their purchases. Despite this, the internet
user market is expanding fast throughout the globe and is highly segmented along cultural lines
(Vinerean, Cetina, & Tichindelean, 2013). Customers who are having issues with the company's
products or services are encouraged to reach out through social media for prompt assistance.
Businesses' responses to comments made on social media are problematic. Their responses and
thoughts will help build the brand's credibility and encourage additional consumers to try it. When
a consumer is trying to make a purchase, even the smallest piece of information may make a
difference.

Chukwu and Uzoma (2014) conducted an analysis of the impact of social media on purchasing
decisions. It all began in Nigeria, where an increase of online distributors has been seen, especially
on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google Stores. The research is
based mostly on information gathered from Jumia and Konga Nigeria Ltd staff and consumers in
Enugu and Lagos. In this cross-sectional study, information was gathered via the use of a
questionnaire. The hypothesis was tested using an ANOVA and a chi-square analysis at a 5% level
of significance. Among other things, the findings reveal a dramatic change in customer
preferences. Consumers have varying opinions on the internet, but the survey found that they still
support online shopping.

2.1.4 How Social Media Marketing Affects the Patronage Intention of Consumers

Trends in consumer behaviour towards the acquisition of goods or services are referred to as
consumer decision making (Voramontri & Klieb, 2018). Several distinct types of consumer
behaviour exist.

1. Complex purchases require extensive research on the part of the buyer, consideration of several
options, the expenditure of substantial funds, and the assumption of substantial risk.

16
2. Considerable customer participation, little brand differentiation, and considerable risk all
contribute to a low dissonance in this sort of transaction.

3. Customers are not actively engaged, there is no differentiation between companies, and
transactions are made on a consistent basis.

4. Customer engagement is low, consumer trust in brands is low, and brand switching is common.
According to Voramontri and Klieb (2018), there is a greater need to gather data while making
complex purchases due to the increased risk involved. Voramontri and Klieb (2018) define a
community as a group of people who share content and work together to monitor and tally views.
Customers are increasingly invested in difficult purchases, but they are taking more time than ever
to research topics on social media before making a purchase.

Optimisation and satisfaction of a decision are what decision-making is all about. Several
researchers, including Schwartz Monterosso, Lyubomirsky, White, and Lehman (2002),
"maximizers want the best possible outcome; satisfiers want an outcome which is strong enough
to meet every criterion." Products are reviewed and tested by the Satisfiers until they locate one
that is excellent enough to fulfil the requirements or limitations set by the Satisfiers. Maximizers,
compare this to taking your time to think about and assess your alternatives for the best possible
measurement (Schwartz, et al., 2002). The method of decision-making has evolved to provide for
control over the amount of time spent considering options and the quality of those options'
assessment (Karimi, Papamichail, & Holland, 2015). Marketers kept a close eye on the social
media activities of their advertising partners, but few understand the effects on consumers. The
social effect in various decision-making processes is often overlooked by researchers who focus
on client behaviour instead (Darley, Blankson, & Luethge, 2010).

Customers were able to make more educated purchasing choices, as reported by Aksooy and Cooil
(2006), and new information search possibilities were made possible by the cheap cost of searching
for information (Jepsen, 2007). User-generated content and views are having an ever-increasing
impact on search engine rankings (Smith, 2009). The media's sway is influenced by the location
of the decision-making process. The media's promotion of new forms of social media, online
decision-services, and advising systems has enhanced the influence of social media on decision-
making at all levels, while also emphasising the need of intelligence analysis (Karimi, 2013).

17
Factors that influence the effectiveness of online decision making include the possible hazards
involved, the sensitivity and trust in the product, and the time and cognitive costs of information
acquisition and delivery. The more individuals use decision they end up making (Jepsen, 2007) is
the more time they spend on the internet. Comparison of offline and online decision-making
processes and outcomes are different because of the technology accessible online that assist
consumers make better decisions. To examine how people's views on social networks have evolved
over time, Duangruthai and Leslie (2018) conducted a thorough poll. According to the results,
consumers are more likely to remain loyal throughout the purchase process if they are involved in
the social media conversation throughout the full journey, from initial interest to post-purchase
satisfaction.

2.1.5 The Role of Social Media Marketing in Influencing Consumer Patronage

Customers must make a decision after considering a number of alternatives, thus it is essential that
they have access to all the information they need (Hawkins & Mothersbauugh, 2010). Customers
are drawn to these products, making them popular. Decisions may be swayed by the sum of
information from several sources, which is why social media is such a potent instrument.
Expectations and projections expressed in social media marketing have an impact on decision-
making. According to the research on social media marketing, 83% of business owners consider
social media to be very important to the success of their business (Stelzner, 2013). Long-term
purchase behaviour is more nuanced now than ever because of the impact of social media. Not
only do internet marketplaces pose a threat to established retail networks, but also conventional
ones. User-generated material such as analysis, citations, blogs, and social networks (as opposed
to those affected by internet advertising) provide the process of prioritisation and decision-making.

There is an unending amount of sharing, tracking, and analysing of products, services, and events
taking place within the "participatory community" that has emerged on social media platforms
(Ashman Solomon and Wolny, 2015). Comparable to perceived knowledge and attractive
numbers, online product reviews have been proven to significantly influence consumers' purchase
decisions (Zhou Liu, and Tang, 2013; Zhang, Zhao, Cheung, and Lee, 2014). The data published
on social media is trustworthy, in contrast to the propaganda spread by corporations.

According to Constantinides (2014), scepticism of the media is at an all-time high. As a result,

consumers are turning away from traditional sources of information like TV, periodicals, and

18
newspapers (Mangold and Faulds, 2009) while making purchases. The informational deluge is a
major obstacle in online decision making. Because of the overwhelming nature of the Internet and
the wealth of information it contains, customers are paralysed in their quest for answers (Power,
Advincula, Austin, Graiko, and Snyder, 2012). Individuals' limited rationality means they can't
take in as much data or give every option a thorough analysis as they'd want (Karimi, 2013).

Michael's research (2017) demonstrates that businesses which use social media in a planned
manner is more likely to bring in new business and keep existing clients happy. Companies are
always experimenting with new methods of boosting brand loyalty and retaining customers'
interest in their products. The emergence of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and
Twitter in the modern era to let individuals interact with each other and brands via user-generated
content.

2.1.6 The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Repeat Patronage

Consumers now have more options than ever before for learning about products and services
because to the rise of social media (Voramontri and Klieb, 2018). Through social media, customers
can maintain constant communication and share their opinions about brands at all times.
Customers may also hang out and have conversations, write letters, and create weblogs. Alsubagh
(2015) posit that consumers may now freely discuss their ideas, opinions, and experiences with
one another. Dellarocas (2002) argues that social media marketing has made digital
communication easier for people all over the world. Online evaluations posted by community
members about a certain product, topic, or community have an impact on customers' purchase
choices (Zhang et al., 2014). Services and goods are discussed and ranked based on written and
uploaded internet content. Because of the Internet, these suggestions and ideas may now reach a
larger audience than ever before (Voramontri and Klieb, 2018).

According to Trusov, Bucklin, and Pauwels (2009), traditional connections are becoming less
effective, and as a result, marketers are eager to comprehend online language. Reviews left on
websites are a powerful kind of online word of mouth (Zhou, et al., 2013). According to Jackson
(2009), network effects on behaviour should be taken into account when modelling networks.
Nolcheska (2017) found that consumer social contact affected all stages of the purchasing process,
from problem identification and information search through alternative appraisal, purchase, and
post-purchase satisfaction.

19
The impact of social networks (digital marketing) on consumer compliance was studied by Joneda
(2019), who found a negative association between social media use and customer happiness. Social
media and search engine-focused customers are less loyal and less likely to consider brand values
when making purchases. These consumers have lower tolerance for poor service than the typical
user of social media or a search engine. The investigation also discovered a link between market
research and social media. As a result, customers are more likely to make a purchase (either of a
new product or an existing one) (Jonida, 2019). Companies that prioritise their customers'
commitments and online presence tend to have happier customers and a higher retention rate.
Primary data was gathered using questionnaires in this research. For statistical analysis,
correlation, and regression, SPSS was widely utilised in the field of research statistics. Social
media content attracts greater attention than news reports in traditional media, according to Ola
and Reem (2018), however the results of their searches are restricted and arbitrary.

2.2 Theoretical Review

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behaviour, and Theory of Reasoned
Action (TRA) were explored as they pertain to social media marketing and consumer patronage
decision making.

2.2.1 Rationality in Action Theory

This theory was promogagted by Fisbeing and Ajzen (1975) for forecasting behaviours exhibited
by individuals. This emerged from prior studies that began with an examination of attitude theory
and moved on to analyse the relationship between theory and practise. A person's TRA will be
affected by their Behavioural Intention (B1), their Attitude (A), and their Subjective Norm (SN).
TRA (B1 = A + SN) is defined by an individual's own standards and perspective on a given task.
In most cases, a person will act in accordance with his own wishes. The intensity of an individual's
conduct is determined by the goals they are trying to achieve.

Above, we see that the customer's subjective norms and their attitude towards the product's
transactions combine to form the customer's behavioural goal. The concept of subjective norm
(Solomon, 2006) allows for the recognition of other people's influence on the development of acts
within theoretical frameworks. It factors in public opinion on a certain action, which is constrained

20
by the customer's level of motivation. Predicting future actions may be difficult since the weight
given to beliefs and observed behaviour varies widely.

Reasoned action theory holds that individuals act sensibly when they want to maximise their own
and others' happiness and satisfaction. This idea explains how individuals may be influenced and
shaped in their actions. Participation in these activities affects how a person behaves. Both the
action and its results may be considered to have a purpose (Amaro & Duarte, 2015). An attitude,
as defined by Ajzen (1991), is a purposeful mental stance that may be either good or negative
depending on the circumstances. According to research by Leeraphong and Mardjo (2013),
motivational factors that shape behaviour may often be deduced from the actor's stated goals.

As a result, one's physical capacity to make an effort might serve as a proxy for moral intent. Since
rational action may be applied to consumer behaviour, it is reasonable to assume that customers
have goals in mind while considering various options (Kim and Park, 2013). One of the most
prominent approaches to characterise consumer behaviour is via the lens of rational action theory
(Lo, Frankowski, & Leskovec, 2016). This theory may be seen as as a depiction of "attitude
intentcomportment: a system of continuum." Researchers in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia used this
paradigm to examine the effect of customers' trust and attitude on online purchasing (Al-Nasser,
Yusoff, Islam, and ALNasser, 2014).

The theory is crucial to the research because it gives a frame of mind about decision-making that
clarifies behaviour. The theory is relevant to our investigation because it provides a neurological
explanation for intentional and experience-based human conduct.

2.2.2 The Acceptance of New Technologies Model Davis,

To investigate the primary variables that motivate consumers to embrace and accept a new
information system, Bagozzi and Warshaw (1989) created the TAM. The The primary objective
of TAM is to provide light on the factors that lead to the broad adoption of business software
programmes. This framework may also be used to evaluate the shortcomings of a process (Davis,
1989). Davis claims that users' intents when interacting with an information system are heavily
influenced by users' attitudes and perceptions of the system's usefulness and in turn, on the system's
success. Actions and usefulness are influenced by the perceived ease of application. Companies
under this model achieve their objectives via the use of social media and online commerce.

21
When it comes to modelling how people utilise and apply when it comes to managing data and
information, the technological acceptance model is a cornerstone of the field. It strengthens the
case for technological determinism. In this model, the two most important factors in whether or
not a system is adopted are the degree to which its users find it useful and how easy it is to use.
According to Ekwueme and Akagwu (2017), an individual's perception of a system's usefulness in
achieving professional objectives is known as its perceived utility (PU). But how a user feels about
an interface's simplicity is captured by the term "perceived ease of use" (PEOU). According to the
paradigm for technology adoption, the way a person thinks about and feels about using an
information system has a major impact on their intent to actually use the system. Consumers still
consider a variety of sources in addition to online marketing. Inaccessibility of the Internet or a
poor Internet connection, a lack of trust, an inconvenient time frame, and a problem with making
a payment are all examples (Ekwueme & Akagwu, 2017).

Since customers were able to make educated purchasing choices without physically visiting a
business, the TAM-Model for technology adoption is relevant to this study. Even though social
media and the internet are relatively new forms of networking technology, this helps to explain
why they are so widely used in promotional campaigns. Most customers will adopt a product or
service if they find it to be both beneficial and simple to use. The extent to which one trusts it also
plays a role in its usefulness. According to Asemah (2011), the receiver manipulates the control
process by choosing which commercials to see, focus on, and keep. In spite of this, the concept is
interesting because it sheds light on the question of whether consumers welcome or reject social
media in contrast to online merchants, irrespective of the monetary gain from advertising and web
commerce. The theory is relevant to the study because social media (technology as described by
the TAM) has allowed customers to make purchases online rather than in physical stores.

2.2.3 Planned Behaviour Theory

According to Ajzen, the goal of an action what influences actions, values, and self-perceptions of
safety (Ajzen, 2002).. Attitude (ATT) refers to a person's general sentiments about how desirable
or unwelcome an activity is. The term "subjective norm" (SN) is used to describe a person's desire
to operate in accordance with a preconceived set of rules established by an institution or society.
A person's level of perceived behavioural control (PBC) indicates how easy or challenging they
believe a certain behaviour to be. Adoption of new information systems may be understood and

22
predicted with the use of TPB, which has been demonstrated to be a useful theoretical framework
(Ajzen, 2002). The TPB was the subject of a meta-analysis conducted by Armitage and Conner
(2001). The primary value of the theory is that it substantiates the usefulness of the TPB and calls
for to improve the model's predictability, further research into additional components is required.
The notion of deliberate action is used in this study to businesses are responding to the needs of
their customers through social media (online sales).

The theory also attempted to account for all behaviours that are motivated by wants. An important
part of this paradigm is the focus on behavioural intent, which is grounded in an individual's
consideration of the pros and cons of a potential action. The TPB was used to the prediction and
explanation of various health behaviours, such as cigarette, alcohol, drug, and healthcare usage.
The TPB (behavioural control) influences behavioural performance through motivation (intention)
and capability. It classifies actions into three categories: emotional, social, and influential. The
TPB's six systems stand in for the real norms by which people are expected to behave.

1. A person's attitude might be defined as the degree to which they are optimistic about, or
pessimistic about, the pursuits that pique their attention. One result of taking these steps is to think
about what could happen next.

2. The more strongly one feels the motivations for committing a certain conduct, the more likely
it is that the action will be taken.

3. Standards based on the opinions of the general public, which may or may not be objective. The
respondent is asked about themselves, their close circle of friends and family, and whether or not
they think the behaviours are appropriate.

4. Norms of conduct are formed by a group of individuals or a larger cultural environment and are
known as social standards. In a society, norms are what you would call "natural" or "customary."

5. Assumed authority, or the assumption that some external factor may influence how well an
individual's behavioural regulator works, is a sort of perceived power.

6. An individual's perception of their own behavioural control indicates how easy or difficult they
believe the perfect act to be. Changes in one's perception of their own ability to exert control over
their behaviour as a result of their actions in different contexts. The development of planned

23
behaviour stemmed from the transition from reasoned action theory. Theory is significant because
it provides evidence for the TPB's efficacy and highlights the need for further investigation into
the identification of new variables to further the model's predictive power. The concept of planned
business is used in this study to uncover how traditional company demands are satisfied by means
of social media (online sales).

2.2.4 The original research that this analysis is based on

However, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was selected for this analysis following a
thorough evaluation of relevant theories. Consumers' acceptance and usage of a technology via
social media or online transactions are examples of how the information system theory describes
how people deal with information. Davis established the TAM in 1989; it was the most influential
theoretical model for comprehending user adoption of technology since it was based on the idea
of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Therefore, one might say that the goal of this model
is to foresee whether or not a fee would be accepted and to identify the changes that must be made
to the system so that it is suitable to users (consumers' purchasing habits). The Technology
Adoption Model (TAM) is by far the most popular framework for doing so. According to this
theory, two things—ease of use and perceived utility—decide whether or not an information
system will be widely adopted. The arrangement of the data is satisfactory. How much a user
enjoys working with a system and how certain they are that it will improve their productivity are
both factors in user satisfaction. TAM reveals two convictions—perceived ease of use and
perceived practicality—to evaluate the desire to utilise a technology. One's level of activity
determines the intensity of their dedication to a certain course of action.

This demonstrates why it was considered that the TAM was suitable. This is because the model
places an emphasis on the fundamental requirements for providing excellent service. When a
consumer makes an online purchase from a business they have certain expectations about the
service they will get. If the service this consumer receives falls short of their expectations, a void
will exist.

2.3 Summary of Literature

In this chapter, we surveyed existing research on how social media has impacted consumers'
propensity to make purchases online. Major ideas such as online consumer patronage decision

24
making, as well as the relation and mutual influence of the two from the perspectives of earlier
writers, were discussed and reviewed. Consumer purchase decision making and technology
adoption theories were also utilised to explain how social media impacts customers' purchasing
decisions. The following section of this research will describe the procedures used throughout the
investigation and provide an explanation of why they were chosen.

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

This section present the methodology adopted in this research. The discussions in the segment
include the research design, research approach, research paradigms, and population of the study,
method of data collection, sampling strategy, research instrument, validity and reliability of
instrument, method of data analysis, consideration of ethical issues and limitation to the study.

3.1 Research Design

Research design deals with the strategy and structure utilized in examining the nexus existing
amongst study variables (Asika, 2006). In the views of Sekaran (2003) research design is
fundamentally concerned with the social scientist relate research work with logic. It is also
perceived as the overall method used in executing a study. According to Ahiazu (2016) the
objective of a study exact influence on the choice of research design. Therefore, to achieve the
objectives of this study and provide the right response to the research questions, this study utilized
an explanatory survey design. The explanatory survey are type of studies intended to ascertain the
frequency of a given attribute within a specified population per time and they are valuable tool in
understanding beliefs, knowledge, behavior as well as practices relating to a population (Sauders,
Lewis & Thornhil, 2009).

3.2 Research Approach

The views of Saunders et al (2009) on research approach to be adopted for a research must be such
that will help the theory that rightly applies to the study. This study adopts a deductive research
approach. According to Silverman (2013) research assumptions and methodology of a deductive
method build of an existing hypothesis. The positivist approach is well-suited to the deductive
technique for hypothesis formation and statistical evaluation of projected results to an acceptable
degree of probability (Snieder & Larner, 2009).

3.3 Research Paradigms

This is a collection of hypotheses on the investigated phenomenon's actual character. It's the theory
that explains why knowledge is what it is. According to Sauders et al, (2009) identifying the

26
research paradigm used in a study enable one to understand the ideal applicable theory in the
research. What and how should be researched might be seen differently by various schools of
thought. Understanding the research's guiding philosophy may provide light on its underlying
assumptions and its practical application.

Positivism holds that there is truth independent of the objective of study. Thus, we may be certain
that the occurrences are consistent with reality across disciplines. Constructivism, on the other
hand, advocates for the fabrication of the universally shared interpretation of social phenomena
(Saunder et al., 2009). According to this theory, it is essential to look for variances and subtleties
in the way respondents interpret what is seen rather than assuming that their interpretations are
same.

The research philosophy takes an epistemological, ontological, and axiological stance, as stated
by Saunders et al. (2009). These three main methods illustrate the different perspectives kept
during the research process. The field of ontology investigates the nature of reality, whereas
epistemology investigates how knowledge works. Axiology is the study of value judgements. The
quality of a study may be affected by the researcher's ideology, thus it's important for them to
identify and name it (Burns & Burns, 2008). The setting of the study shapes the researcher's
analytical choices. When one has a firm grasp of the research philosophy, it becomes much easier
to see the forest for the trees in terms of the many research methods accessible and the best one to
use in a given study.

There is no "best" research design since each design is unique and must be tailored to the specific
research topic at hand. At this point, many approaches were tried out to see which one would work
best for this research. Positivism, realism, and interpretivism are the three primary research
philosophies, as stated by Saunders et al. (2015).

As Bryman and Bell (2011) note, positivist philosophy serves as a foundation for the scientific
method. Kumar (2011) argues that the key tenets of the positivist philosophy are the attempt to
analyse and comprehend occurrences in a measured social reality. Positivism is also characterised
by its logical aspect, which it uses to seek to verify hypotheses and develop theories. According to
Saunders et al. (2007), there is a high likelihood that positivism will be adopted without attaching
any value judgements to the process. Most people, according to research (Burns & Burns, 2008),
subscribe to the positivist view of human and social behaviour.

27
Though, positivism may pass for realism in a few different contexts. When it comes to expanding
our body of knowledge, realism is both useful and pragmatic. The collection and description of
data is moving in the direction of positivism (Bryman & Bell, 2011). A fundamental tenet of
realism is the validity of direct sensory experience. What we perceive through our senses is always
true, independent of the existence of human souls. The realist tradition includes both empirical and
critical aspects. According to Bryman and Bell's (2011) definition of empirical procedures, they
are how we make meaning of our sensory experiences. Critical realism, based on practise and
experience, illustrates the dynamics of the natural order and social processes.

On the other hand interpretivism epistemology is considered as the antipode of positivism. It is

important to understand consumer behaviour and how social media influences consumer decision
making. One interpretation of the interpretivism philosophy is that it entails the study of real-life
social dynamics and interactions. When it comes to objectivity, Saunders and Lewis (2015) argue
that interpretivism falls short. The philosophical school known as interpretivism places emphasis
on mental and emotional states of individuals.

This dissertation was written in a positivist vein. In order to conduct his study and gather data from
respondents through online surveys, the researcher has adopted this theory since it offers him with
a more comprehensive view of social reality. This theory sheds light on the current situation and
the historical developments that led to the current social reality. The impact of social media
marketing on consumer decision making in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria, may be better
understood with the aid of this concept. Research questions and hypotheses that may be tested are
necessary due to positivism's emphasis on empirical evidence.

3.4 Data Collection

The data type required for this study is the primary data. The primary data for this study was
acquired through semi-structured interviews. The main method utilized in this research to gathered
data was via the use of a questionnaire. A questionnaire is an inquiry tool consisting of a set of
questions, assertions, and answer alternatives. It is a technique for researchers and respondents to
exchange information in an impersonal fashion and may be sent by mail, a third party, or the
researcher themselves (Zeb-Obipi, 2007). The semi-structured questionnaire will serve as the
primary method of data collection in this research. A semi-structured questionnaire is a kind of
questionnaire that is given to certain persons, groups, or businesses and comprises a predetermined

28
collection of questions, indicators, or, more often than not, empirical referents of other latent
categories.and comprises a predetermined collection of questions, indicators, or, more often than
not, empirical referents of other latent categories.

All survey participants in this study were asked the same set of questions in the same order, as was
required by the research protocol. Participants in the questionnaires were not identified. The
questionnaire was distributed to residents of Port Harcourt, more of the attention was focused on
university students, middle age workers with corporate organisations like the university staff,
bankers as well as small business owners who buys goods regularly through the internet. The
questionnaire was designed in three segment: the first segment elicit the respondents demographic
attributes, the next segment focused on questions relating to the social media marketing, while the
third segment focused on questions relating to each of the measures of consumer decision making.
The 5-point Likert scale (5 strongly gree, 4 agree, 3 undecided, 2 disagree and 1 strongly disagree)
was utilized for each of the questions on the second and third segment of the questionnaire.

3.5 Population of the study

Population of this study comprise of individual consumers who use the different social medial
handles to buy products. The study coverage include active online users who are small and medium
scale business owners in Port Harcourt Rivers State of Nigeria. The engaged active users were
individuals who regularly buy their needed items and sell products online. This category of
respondents are important because they poses the experience required for this study. So the study
focused on small business owners in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Port Harcourt is the metropolitan city of Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the most developed city in
Rivers State and as such the State capital. The city three established universities, polytechnic and
monotechnic has made endeared it to thousands of persons who migrate in and out of the state on
daily bases. Also, being a capital city for a rich crude oil producing state, it present a viable
environment for business and this explains the reason there are several thriving small and medium
scale businesses (startups) within the environs. It is estimated that there are about 1200 registered
small businesses in Port Harcourt city offering various products and services to the general public.

29
3.6 Sample size determination and Sampling Technique

According to Mondal and Ray (1999) any amount of individuals, units or objects selected to
represent the population according to similar plan or rules, meanwhile sampling comprise of a
process of selecting a portion of the population in a manner that represent the entire population.
So using Taro Yamane formulae to arrive at a sample for this study population and this is presented
below:

n = N

1 + N(e)2

Where:

n = Sample Size

N = Population of the Study

1 = Constant

e = significance level (5%) = 0.05

Therefore:

n = 1,200

1 + 1200(0.05)2

n = 1200

n = 300

So the sample size for this study population is three hundred small and medium enterprises. On
the issues of sampling technique, two methods exist: probability sampling and non-probability
sampling (Saunders et al., 2015). This research made use of a probabilistic sampling technique.
Probability sampling was used because, unlike the non-probability sampling, it allows for the
collection of data from a population with whom it is consistent. The random sampling technique

30
was used in this study and according to Bryman et al., (2011) it guarantees that every member of
the sample has an equal chance of becoming a part of the research.

3.7 Research Instrument

This study used a semi-structured questionnaire as the instrument of research. The hard copy of
the questionnaires were distributed to all the respondents at different locations in Port Harcourt.
The respondents filled the survey instrument and returned the filled copies back.

3.8 Research Instrument Validity and Reliability

The validity of a measurement system is defined as the extent to which it accurately measures the
target phenomenon (Asika, 2006). Face validity, content validity, and construct validity were
utilised to evaluate the reliability and validity of the research instrument that was employed in this
study. In contrast, reliability calculates an estimate of the degree to which a measuring device
consistently produces the same results when employed on the same subjects or components under
the same circumstances. Therefore, the researcher used Cronbach's alpha, a measure of internal
consistency dimension, to assess dependability.

Table 3.1: Chronbach Reliability Analysis

Predicting/Criterion Variables No. of Items Cronbach Alpha

Value
Social Media Marketing 5 0.821
Patronage Intention 5 0.742
Consumer Purchase 5 0.764
Repeat Patronage 5 0.812
Source: SPSS Output on Cronbach Alpha Value

3.9 Method of Data Analysis

The study relied on the analysis and interpretation of the questionnaire data. The survey data was
analysed using statistical and comparative approaches for visualisation and interpretation. For the
purpose of statistical analysis, data acquired from respondents was processed by a programme
named SPSS (Denscombe, 2007). The study used this methodology to analyse the data collected
on the impact of social media on consumers decision making (Saunder et al., 2015) and to quantify

31
the responses received from respondents into numbers. As a consequence, this research used both
descriptive and inferential techniques of data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to
characterise the data and illustrate the range of responses and perspectives. Throughout the study,
inferential analysis using regression analysis in SPSS was used to draw conclusions about how
social media marketing might influence consumers' final purchasing decisions. Regression
analysis was used to evaluate factors that indicate connections between variables and to simplify
and summarise data with minimal loss of information. In this analysis, we utilised a large number
of different factors.

3.10 Ethical Considerations

The study was conducted in an ethical and professional way, and the researcher took many
measures to ensure the security of the collected data. No identifying information about the
responder was collected since we wanted to protect their anonymity. Second, the researcher asked
a consent-related question to ensure the participants' high levels of interest in taking part in the
research. Concerns concerning the responders' anonymity and confidentiality were also raised.
Responsible conduct was maintained throughout this investigation by first seeking informed
permission from the respondents. However, all information provided by research participants was
treated as strictly private.

3.11 Limitation to the study

This study's demographic data collection was complicated by the short time frame in which the
research had to be completed. Therefore, only those who meet the requirements for the research's
distribution of questionnaires (active accounts on at least one social media platform) were
contacted for participation in the study. As a result, it took longer than expected to send out all of
the surveys. Another significant obstacle faced by the researchers was the issue of recruiting,
training, and supervising research assistants to aid in the distribution of the surveys.

32
 CHAPTER 4

EMPIRICAL FINDINGS

This chapter present the data gathered from the survey in table and charts, then the analysis of
these obtained data in both descriptive and inferential statistics. The percentages were used to
analyze the attributes of the respondents, meanwhile, univariate which describe how respondents
responded to the questionnaire item. The regression analysis in this chapter explained the effect of
social media marketing on consumer decision making in Rivers State Nigeria. The data being
analysed in this segment were obtained from 250 respondents after 270 questionnaire were
retrieved from the filled out of the 300 questionnaires that were distributed.

The retrieved questionnaires were screened and properly sorted, during this process it was
discovered that 20 questionnaires were not properly filled as there were double filling for a single
item, while others were due to omissions.

4.1 Data Presentation

4.1.1 Demographic Data of Respondents

Table 4.1: Gender of Respondents

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 180 72%
Female 70 38%
Total 250 100%
Source: Field Report 2023

33
 Gender of Respondents

38%

72%

Male Female

Figure 4.1: Pictorial representation of gender of respondents

The above table and chart 4.1 show the gender distribution of respondents for this study as 72
percent of all the responses were obtained from male small and medium business owners, while
the remaining 38 percent respondents were female. This showed that there are more male social
media users who shop online that were interested in this study.

Table 4.2: Age Bracket of Respondents

Option Frequency Percentage

25 – 34 years 72 31%
35 – 44 years 95 38%
45 – 54 years 53 21%
55 years and 25 10%
above
Total 250 100%
Source: Field work 2023

34
 Age Bracket of Respondents

10%
31%
21%

38%

25 - 34 Years 35 - 44 Years 45 - 54 Years 55 and above years

Figure 4.2: Pictorial representation of age bracket of respondents

The table and chart 4.2 above show that the responses were obtained from different age groups as
31 percent response rate fall between 25 – 34 years, this was followed by 38% of respondents
being between 35 – 44 years of age, 21 percent responses were gotten from ages 45 – 54 years,
while 10 percent responses came from 55 years and above. The implication of this is that majority
of responses were gotten from younger generation and these group of persons are more active
participant in online shopping.

Table 4.3 Educational Qualification of Respondents

Option Frequency Percentage

Post Graduate 67 27%
Graduate 100 40%
Diploma 38 15%
Others 45 18%
Total 250 100%
Source: Field work 2023

35
 Educational Qualification of Respondents

18%
27%

15%

40%

Post Graduate Graduate Diploma Other

Figure 4.3: Pictorial representation of educational qualification of respondents

The table and chart 4.3 above show the educational qualification of the response rate the indicate
that 40 percent hold bachelor’s degree as their the level of education, followed by 27 percent of
the response rate being post graduate degree holders, next is 15 percent of respondents having
diploma as their highest educational qualification, while 18 percent respondents hold other levels
of education qualification.

4.2 Univariate Analysis of Responses Data Obtained from Respondents on variables

Using the survey instrument to elicit data for this study, each item is patterned to align with Likert
scale as this help to get data required to relate with the variables. On individual variables (both the
predicting and criterion) there are five items used to obtain response relating to each of the
variables. The responses were categorized as: 5 for strongly agree, 4 for agree, 3 for
undecided/Neutral, 2 for disagree and 1 for strongly disagree. This descriptions are provided in the
respective tables below.

36
Table 4.4 Responses on Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing 5 4 3 2 1 Total

Q1 I find it easy to use the social media to 121 84 26 9 10 250
decide on what to buy. 48.6% 33.7% 10.3% 3.5% 3.9% 100%
Q2 The social media afford me the 115 86 22 20 7 250
opportunity to evaluate what to buy
online. 46.2% 34.4% 8.8% 7.9% 2.7% 100%
Q3 I find the process of discovering 117 60 8 44 21 250
product on the internet very
interesting. 46.7% 24.1% 3.1% 17.6% 8.5% 100%
Q4 Social media help me build confidence 133 65 18 18 16 250
with a product offering. 53.1% 26.1% 7.3% 7.2% 6.3% 100%
Q5 Social media provide me the 136 62 13 25 13 250
opportunity to express my opinion
about a product. 54.5% 24.7% 5.4% 10.1% 5.3% 100%

Responses on Social Media Marketing Items

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Item Response 1 Item Response 2 Item Response 3 Item Response 4 Item Response 5

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 4.4: Bar chart distribution on Social Media Marketing Survey Responses

37
The information from table and chart 4.4 stipulates the responses obtained on the questions
outlined in the questionnaire regarding social media marketing. The entire respondents of the
survey were 250 and 51.1% of responses indicated that they strongly agreed they find it easy to
use the social media to decide on what to buy, 33.7% agreed, 10.3% undecided, while 3.5% dis
agreed and another 3.9 strongly disagree. The next item which was “The social media afford me
the opportunity to evaluate what to buy online” 46.2% strongly agreed, 34.4% agreed, 8.8%
undecided, while 7.9% disagreed and another 2.7% strongly disagreed. The third item responses
revealed that 46.7% of the response rate agree strongly that they find the process of discovering
product on the internet very interesting, 24.1% were in agreement, 3.1% were neutral, 17.6
disagreed, while 8.5% strongly disagreed with the question. Also, on item four 53.1% agree
strongly that social media help them build confidence with a product offering, 26.1% agreed, 7.3%
were undecided, while 7.2 disagreed and another 6.3% strongly disagreed with the item. The
responses on fifth item relating to social media marketing showed 54.5% agreed strongly that
social media provide them the opportunity to express their opinion about a product, 24.7% also
agreed, 5.4% were undecided, 10.1% were not in agreement and another 5.3% were strongly not
in agreement to the statement.

Table 4.5: Responses on Consumer Patronage Intention

Consumer Purchase Intention 5 4 3 2 1 Total

Q1 I sometimes discover what I need 128 80 18 13 11 250
through advert online. 51.1% 32.1% 7.2% 5.3% 4.3% 100%
Q2 The internet aid my search for any 106 89 18 23 13 250
product/service of interest. 42.5% 35.6% 7.3% 9.3% 5.5% 100%
Q3 Through product reviews online I have 124 59 14 39 14 250
the privilege of comparing alternative
product options. 49.6% 23.7% 5.6% 15.6% 5.5% 100%
Q4 The internet provide the ease of finding 133 62 23 21 11 250
product of interest. 53.1% 25% 9.2% 8.2% 4.4% 100%
Q5 I am always willing to shop from online 101 76 14 36 20 250
retailers. 40.5% 30.3% 5.5% 14.4% 8.1% 100%

38
 Responses on Consumer Patronage Intention
Items
60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Item Response 1 Item Response 2 Item Response 3 Item Response 4 Item Response 5

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 4.5: Bar chart distribution on Consumer Patronage Intention Survey Responses

The information from table and chart 4.5 stipulates the responses obtained on the questions
outlined in the questionnaire regarding consumer patronage intention. The entire respondents of
the survey were 250 and 51.1% of responses indicated that they strongly agreed to the item
“sometimes discover what I need through advert online”, 32.1% agreed, 7.2% undecided, while
5.3% dis agreed and another 4.3 strongly disagree. The next item which was “The internet aid my
search for any product/service of interest” 42.5% strongly agreed, 35.6% agreed, 7.3% undecided,
while 9.3% disagreed and another 5.5% strongly disagreed. The third item responses revealed that
49.6% of the response rate agree strongly that the internet provide the ease of finding product of
interest, 23.7% were in agreement, 5.6% were neutral, 15.6 disagreed, while 5.5% strongly
disagreed with the question. Also, on item four 53.1% agree strongly that the internet provide the
ease of finding product of interest, 25% agreed, 9.2% were undecided, while 8.2 disagreed and
another 4.4% strongly disagreed with the item. The responses on fifth item relating consumer
patronage intention showed 40.5% agreed strongly that they always willing to shop from online
retailers, 30.3% also agreed, 5.5% were undecided, 14.4% were not in agreement and another 8.1%
were strongly not in agreement to the statement.

39
Table 4.6: Responses on Consumer Patronage

Consumer Patronage 5 4 3 2 1 Total

Q1 I now buy most items I need because 133 76 25 13 3
the internet provide me the ability to 53.1% 30.2% 10.1% 5.2% 1.4% 100%
make informed decision.
Q2 With the internet I have the 136 73 35 3 3
opportunities to a large array of 54.5% 29.1% 14.2% 1.1% 1.2% 100%
products to select from.
Q3 I would rather buy online if the price is 131 81 22 13 3 250
lower. 52.3% 32.6% 8.6% 5.3% 1.2% 100%
Q4 The special discount offerings for a 133 75 25 13 4 250
product or group of products make me
patronize online product/services. 53.1% 30.1% 10.2% 5.1% 1.5% 100%
Q5 I purchase things easily through the 144 53 36 14 3 250
internet. 57.6% 21.3 14.4% 5.4% 1.3% 100%

Responses on Consumer Patronage Items

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Item Response 1 Item Response 2 Item Response 3 Item Response 4 Item Response 5

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 4.6: Bar chart distribution on Consumer Patronage Survey Responses

40
The information from table and chart 4.6 stipulates the responses obtained on the questions
outlined in the questionnaire regarding consumer patronage. The entire respondents of the survey
were 250 and 53.1% of responses indicated that they strongly agreed to the item “I now buy most
items I need because the internet provide me the ability to make informed decision.”, 30.2%
agreed, 10.1% undecided, while 5.2% dis agreed and another 1.4 strongly disagree. The next item
which was “With the internet I have the opportunities to a large array of products to select from”
54.5% strongly agreed, 29.1% agreed, 14.2% undecided, while 1.1% disagreed and another 1.2%
strongly disagreed. The third item responses revealed that 52.3% of the response rate agree
strongly that would rather buy online if the price is lower, 32.6% were in agreement, 8.6% were
neutral, 5.5% disagreed, while 1.2% strongly disagreed with the question. Also, on item four
53.1% agree strongly that special discount offerings for a product or group of products make me
patronize online product/services, 30.1% agreed, 10.2% were undecided, while 5.1% disagreed
and another 1.5% strongly disagreed with the item. The responses on fifth item relating to
consumer patronage showed 57.6% agreed strongly that they always purchase things easily
through the internet, 21.3% also agreed, 14.4% were undecided, 5.4% were not in agreement and
another 1.3% were strongly not in agreement to the statement.

Table 4.7: Responses on Repeat Purchase

Repeat Purchase 5 4 3 2 1 Total

Q1 There are online retailers I buy 125 81 18 13 13 250
regularly. 50% 32.2% 7.2% 5.3% 5.3% 100%
Q2 I feel satisfied buying from a particular 119 77 27 19 8 250
retailer online. 47.5% 30.8% 10.8% 7.8% 3% 100%
Q3 The experience of a particular product 101 84 32 27 6 270
make me still by it from the same
online retailer whenever I need it. 40.6% 33.5% 12.8% 10.6% 2.3% 100%
Q4 I share my experience with friend on 112 89 26 21 2 250
social media about a product I have
used. 44.7% 35.6% 10.2% 8.4% 1% 100%

41
 Q5 I will not purchase the same product 141 54 11 26 18 250
from an online retailer after a bad
experience. 56.3% 21.7% 4.4% 10.2% 7.4% 100%

Responses on Repeat Patronage Items

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
Item Response 1 Item Response 2 Item Response 3 Item Response 4 Item Response 5

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 4.7: Bar chart distribution on Repeat Patronage Survey Responses

The information from table and chart 4.6 stipulates the responses obtained on the questions
outlined in the questionnaire regarding repeat patronage. The entire respondents of the survey were
250 and 50% of responses indicated that they strongly agreed to the item “There are online retailers
I buy regularly”, 32.2% agreed, 7.2% undecided, while 5.3% dis agreed and another 5.3 strongly
disagree. The next item which was “They feel satisfied buying from a particular retailer online”
47.5% strongly agreed, 30.8% agreed, 10.8% undecided, while 7.8% disagreed and another 3%
strongly disagreed. The third item responses revealed that 40.6% of the response rate agree
strongly that the experience of a particular product make me still buy it from the same online
retailer whenever I need it, 33.5% were in agreement, 12.8% were neutral, 10.6% disagreed, while
2.3% strongly disagreed with the question. Also, on item four 44.7% agree strongly that they share
my experience with friend on social media about a product I have used, 35.6% agreed, 10.2% were
undecided, while 8.4% disagreed and another 1% strongly disagreed with the item. The responses

42
on fifth item relating to consumer patronage showed 56.3% agreed strongly that they will not
purchase the same product from an online retailer after a bad experience, 21.7% also agreed, 4.4%
were undecided, 10.2% were not in agreement and another 7.4% were strongly not in agreement
to the statement.

4.3 Bivariate Analysis

This section of the analysis examine the hypotheses and provide answers to the research questions
presented in chapter one. The report hypotheses, presented in chapter one, are put to the test here
so to decide which ones to accept and which ones to reject. This study might have tested its
hypotheses in a number of different methods, but for the sake of this report, the researcher used
the basic regression approach, and the study was carried out with the assistance of SPSS, version
24. The selection of SPSS as an analytical tool is justified on the grounds that it is both user-
friendly and effective for minimising residual squares.

The guiding rules adopted for decision states that: if the value of p obtained from the analysis is
less than the level of adopted significance of the study, the alternative hypothesis will be accepted,
but if the value of p is more than the significant level adopted we are to accept the null hypothesis
as we reject the alternate. So, the significant level accepted for this study is 0.05 (5%).

4.3.1 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage intention?

Table 4.8: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research Question One

Adjusted R Std. Error of the

Model R R Square Square Estimate
1 .993a .987 .987 .67787
Source: SPSS 2023
Table 4.9: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis one

Sum of
Model Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 8576.106 1 8576.106 18663.640 .000b
Residual 113.958 248 .460

43
 Total 8690.064 249
Source: SPSS 2023

Table 4.10: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question one

Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
B Std. Error Beta
Model t Sig.
1 (Constant) -.689 .158 -4.358 .000
Social Media
1.019 .007 .993 136.615 .000
Marketing
Source: SPSS 2023
Interpretation of the Result for Research Question and Testing of Hypotheses One
Table 4.8 revealed the R and R square vales. The R value stands for the simple correlation between
social media marketing and consumer patronage intention and the value is 0.993, which indicate a
high rate of correlation. The R square value ascertains the extent of variation in consumer
patronage intention caused by social medial marketing. In this case the level of variation attributed
to social media marketing is as large as 99.3 percent.
Table 4.9 show the anova report on the test of hypothesis one: social media marketing have no
significant impact on consumer patronage intention. From the table, the p-value is 0.000 as a result
this is less than the significant level for this study. This has made the study to reject the null
hypothesis and accepts the alternative hypothesis which stipulate that social media marketing have
a significant influence on consumer patronage intention. This further indicate that the regression
model predict consumer patronage intention significantly well.
Furthermore, from table 4.10, which is the coefficient table, the useful information made available
tell on how to predict consumer patronage intention from social media marketing as well as if
social medial contribute statistically significant to the model with the p-value of 0.000. This then
provide a regression equation as CPI = -.69 + 1.02 (SMM), where CPI represent consumer
patronage intention and SMM represent social media marketing.

44
4.3.2 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage?

Table 4.11: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research Question Two

Adjusted R Std. Error of

Model R R Square Square the Estimate
1 .976a .953 .953 .98861
Source: SPSS 2023

Table 4.12: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis two

Sum of
Model Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 4938.100 1 4938.100 5052.516 .000b
Residual 242.384 248 .977
Total 5180.484 249
Source: SPSS 2023

Table 4.13: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question Two

Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 5.742 .230 24.920 .000
Social Media
.773 .011 .976 71.081 .000
Marketing
Source: SPSS 2023

Interpretation of the Result for Research Question and Testing of Hypotheses Two
Table 4.11 revealed the R and R square vales. The R value stands for the simple correlation
between social media marketing and consumer patronage and the value is 0.976, which indicate a
high rate of correlation. The R square value of 0.953 ascertains the extent of variation in consumer
patronage caused by social medial marketing. In this case the level of variation attributed to social
media marketing is as large as 95.3 percent.
Table 4.12 show the anova report on the test of hypothesis one: social media marketing have no
significant impact on consumer patronage. From the table, the p-value is 0.000 as a result this is

45
less than the significant level for this study. This has made the study to reject the null hypothesis
and accepts the alternative hypothesis which stipulate that social media marketing have a
significant influence on consumer patronage. This further indicate that the regression model
predict consumer patronage significantly well.
Furthermore, from table 4.13, which is the coefficient table, the useful information made available
tell on how to predict consumer patronage from social media marketing as well as if social medial
contribute statistically significant to the model using the p-value of 0.000. This then provide a
regression equation as CPI = 5.74 + .77 (SMM), where CPI represent consumer patronage and
SMM represent social media marketing.

4.3.3 To what extent does social media marketing impact consumer patronage?

Table 4.14: Result of Regression analysis which provide answer to Research Question
Three

Adjusted R Std. Error of

Model R R Square Square the Estimate
1 .995a .990 .990 .55227
Source: SPSS 2023

Table 4.15: Anova Result for Testing Hypothesis Three

Sum of
Model Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 7168.904 1 7168.904 23504.022 .000b
Residual 75.337 247 .305
Total 7244.241 248
Source: SPSS 2023

Table 4.16: Coefficient of the Regression analysis on the Research Question Three

Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 1.503 .129 11.670 .000
Social Media
.933 .006 .995 153.310 .000
Marketing
Source: SPSS 2023

46
Interpretation of the Result for Research Question and Testing of Hypotheses Two
Table 4.14 revealed the R and R square vales. The R value stands for the simple correlation
between social media marketing and repeat patronage and the value is 0.995, which indicate a high
rate of correlation. The R square value of 0.990 ascertains the extent of variation in repeat
patronage caused by social medial marketing. In this case the level of variation attributed to social
media marketing is as large as 99 percent.
Table 4.15 show the anova report on the test of hypothesis one: social media marketing have no
significant impact on repeat patronage. From the table, the p-value is 0.000 as a result this is less
than the significant level for this study. This has made the study to reject the null hypothesis and
accepts the alternative hypothesis which stipulate that social media marketing have a significant
influence on repeat patronage. This further indicate that the regression model predict repeat
patronage significantly well.
Furthermore, from table 4.16, which is the coefficient table, the useful information made available
tell on how to predict repeat patronage from social media marketing as well as if social medial
contribute statistically significant to the model using the p-value of 0.000. This then provide a
regression equation as CPI = 5.74 + .77 (SMM), where CPI represent repeat patronage and SMM
represent social media marketing.

47
 CHAPTER 5

DISCUSION OF FINDINGS

This study main aim is to examine the effect of social media marketing on consumer purchase
decision making, with particular focus on small and medium scale entrepreneurs in Port Harcourt
Rivers State, Nigeria. Some research questions and hypotheses were formed with the intention to
actualize this study objectives.

For hypothesis one, the alternate hypothesis was accepted because the p-value of 0.000 is lesser
than the significant level of 0.05, indicating that social medial marketing have a significant impact
on consumer patronage intention in the product offerings made available through this medium.
Similarly the study found out that social medial impact grate on the consumer patronage intention
as the result from the analysed data reveal 99.3% variation from the social media, meaning that
social medial greatly influence what these small businesses buy as well as what they sell. This
result reflect the fact that social media is a medium that facilitate information sharing and
gathering. The state of consumer patronage intention is the prepurchase phase of a consumer
decision making process and this state heavily depends of need recognition, information search for
available options and critical evaluation of options. This state in consumer patronage decision
making process is very crucial as it ultimately influence whether or not the consumer will make a
purchase.

So it is arguably accepted that in a digitalized global business environment, the social media
promotes almost all purchases a consumer will want/need. This has also been corroborated by
other result from scholarly outcomes from Chukwu and Uzoma (2014) which asserted that the
online retailers have greatly influenced the expectations of consumers. The findings from Mehrdad
(2012) factors like appearance, fast loading, sitemap, promotions, validity and protection have
greatly shaped the attitude of online consumers. Similarly, Kim (2017) found out that social media
marketing efforts have help to douse the tension that was largely created associated with product
risk.

The hypothesis two, showed same attribute with hypothesis one as the alternative hypothesis were
accepted because of the p-value of 0.000 is less than 0.05 significant level adopted for this study.
This showed that social media marketing statistically significantly impact consumer patronage.

48
Also, the regression analysis value 95.3% influence of social media marketing on consumer
purchase, indicating a very large effect on the purchase decision of consumers. The consumer
actual patronage phase of the decision making process is that point when choice of product is made
and expressed through exchange of valuables to guarantee consumption. This result is a reflection
of the fact that social media marketing is highly instrumental for the final consumption of
product/services exchanged through and from small business onwers in Port Harcourt and this is
indicative of the high level of transaction social media marketing facilitate on daily bases.

This position corroborate another finding by Michael (2017) which posit that firms are more likely
to reach, acquire and maintain future customer base when they strategically utilize social media
networks to adapt seamlessly with their marketing efforts. This findings also explains the position
put forwared by Mangold and Faulds (2009) that consumers are abondoning the use of television,
radio, journal, magazines and other conventional medium as a means of having direct patronage.
On the grounds, this study finalise that social media greatly influence the final choice of
product/service of consumers.

The third null hypothesis of the study was rejected for its alternative as the p-value from the
analysis showed 0.000 which is less than 0.05 significant level adopted for this research. This
indicate that social media marketing statistically and significantly impact repeat purchase. Also,
the regression analysis value 99.5% influence of social media marketing on consumer repeat
purchase, indicating a very large effect on the purchase decision of consumers. According to Wirtz
and Lwin (2009) described repeat patronage is the process by which consumer return to purchase
same product from the same firm from whom it was initially purchased. A repeat patronage is an
indication of a satisfied and retained customer. Repeat patronage is the post purchase point in the
consumer decision making process. The post purchase phase of the decision making process
portends an excellent predictor of the firm’s long-term viability and profitability.

This result was corroborated by a similar result from a study by Duangruthai and Leslie (2018)
which concluded that the utilization of social media marketing affect the satisfaction of customer.
Reviews shared from customers who have experienced a product often serve as valueable source
of information for other buyers who might be willing to buy same product for the first. This study
found that the social media marketing impact consumer repeat purchase in Port Harcourt in Rivers
State, Nigeria.

49
Finally, the social media marketing tools available to small and medium scale businesses in Port
Harcourt to exploit and continually enhance their businesses. Corroborating this assertions is a
study by Ola and Reem (2018) who posited that social media afford people the opportunity to be
actively engaged in search of product information to serve their need than they do with other forms
of media. This study’s exploratory component is meant to serve as a guide for businesses interested
in currently partaking in the emerging field of marketing. Consumers are more likely to try new
things if they are active on social media (Jonida, 2019). This indicate that as the popularity of
social media grows, consumers are increasingly inclined to test new items or make purchases
without first personally seeing them. So the results of this study indicate that the use of social
media as a promotional strategy influences consumers’ decisions to shop online.

50
 CHAPTER 6

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This section of this study provide summary of the findings derived from the previous chapter on
the effect of social media marketing on consumer decision making in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Nigeria using the small and medium scale business that that acknowledge to extensive utilization
of the social media. The findings from this study draws conclusion as needed recommendations
are made in the later paraphage of this chapter.

6.1 Summary of Findings

i. Social media marketing have a significant effect on consumer patronage intention of small
and medium scale businesses in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria.
ii. Social media marketing have a significant effect on consumer patronage of small and
medium scale businesses in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria.
iii. Social media marketing have a significant effect on repeat patronage of small and medium
scale businesses in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria.

6.1.1 Implication of the Findings

The implications of findings from this study was discussed in this segment extensively showing
the ways it applies to practices in management, society and industry at large.

Practical Management Implication

By presenting management practitioners with this cutting-edge research, this study has enhanced
and modernised their understanding of the relationship between social media marketing and
consumer patronage decision making. The consequence would be an improved ability for HRM to
influence market participation, consumer choice, and spending patterns. Management researchers
and practitioners alike should think about this paper's implications.

Industrial Implication

The outcomes of this research should serve as encouragement for the sector and its management
to foster conditions that encourage successful online shopping and boost customers' faith in online
retailers. In addition, businesses need to make it less difficult for customers to shop online.

51
Societal Implication

According to the research, the world would be a better place if people could be convinced that the
products they buy online come from reputable companies that have their best interests at heart.
Nobody will be troubled, worried, or acting in a way that causes conflict with online retailers about
their purchases. This will help maintain society's forward momentum.

6.2 Conclusion

The objectives of this study was to investigate the effect of social media marketing on consumer
purchase decision in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for
this study. This was achieved through the distribution of a structured questionnaire to actualize the
set objective. After thorough sorting of the retrieved research instrument, data obtained was
analysed both descriptively and inferentially. This resulted into findinds which revealed that social
media marketing have a satistically significant impact on consumer purchase decision in Port
Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria. These findings concludes that social media marketing contribute
significantly to business growth and profitability especially amongst startups like small and
medium scale.

6.3 Contribution to Knowledge

6.3.1 Concepts

This study contributed to our understanding of the association between social media marketing
and consumer purchase decision. Online shopping, customer purchasing intents, and the decision-
making process were all reviewed, as was their relationship to one another and how the research
expanded our conceptual understanding of these topics.

6.3.2 Analytical Findings

The research's quantitative findings provide light on how customers' perceptions of potential
dangers influence their choices while shopping online. Therefore, this study adds to our prior
understanding. According to the findings of this research conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria, social
media platforms have a moderating effect on consumers' purchasing decisions, influence
consumers' shopping habits, and shape their future purchase intentions.

52
6.4 Recommendations

The findings from this study have brought about the following recommendations:

i. Small business owners should extensively leverage on the social media campaign for
effective communication of their product/service offering to social media users.
ii. Small business owners should endevour to deliver quality experience to consumers as they
eventually patronize their product offerings for the first time. This will enable customer
retainership.
iii. Small business owners should be consistent in engaging social media users as a means of
marketing the benefits of their products because it helps to instill confidence in consumers
who is showing interest in their product/service offering.
iv. Small business owners should be open to request and receive feedbacks after a consumer
patronize their product offerings.
v. Organisations should ensure adequate protection of their consumer information as this will
limit their exposure to risk. This because personal data like bank information of an online
buyer is very critical to the level at which buying decision will be made. Consumer buying
decision is highly hinged on trust, especially when it has to do with online buying.
vi. Government should improve on the infrastructural development that will increase internet
penetration in Nigeria, so that small businesses can leverage on technology to reach wider
audience to sell their product for survival, growth and profitability in business.

6.5 Suggestion for Further Studies

This research work should be extended to consumers in other areas of Nigeria as well as other west
African nations. Also, the perception of consumers on the risk of online shopping and its effect on
buying behaviour in Rivers State Nigeria can considered.

53
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