MKT301 Consumer Behavior Essay: Social Media & Online Activism

This essay examines the profound impact of social media on consumer behavior, focusing on pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase decisions. It delves into the concept of consumer activism on social media platforms, where consumers create movements to promote their rights and interests. The essay highlights how social media influences consumers of various demographics, citing statistics on millennial influence and increased spending among social media users. It discusses key factors like information, design, psychological, and cultural influences, emphasizing the role of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in shaping consumer perceptions and choices. Furthermore, it explores the influence of digital marketing, including word-of-mouth, expert reviews, and online experimentation, on consumer decision-making. The essay concludes by recommending critical analysis of online feedback and a consideration of individual needs when evaluating social media information, acknowledging the growing role of social media in shaping consumer behavior and purchase decisions.

Consumer Behavior

Consumer Behaviour 1
Role of Social Media on Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviors are the study of the individuals, groups or organization along with all the
activities that are linked to the purchase, use and for the disposal of the goods and services. This
paper includes the impact of the social media on consumer behavior for either buying the
products or after buying the products. Along with this, the social media or internet is also used
by the customers to information about the decision that is made by the customers. In simple
words, it is known as the consumer activism on social media. The consumer activism is defined
as the process through which the consumers can create the movements in the marketplace with
the motive to promote the rights, consciousness and the interests of particular persons or group of
customers (Roesler, 2015).
The consumers in the current era consider the digital native or the digital migrant. The
availability of the information on the internet and social media has led consumers to bring the
informed decisions in regard to their pre-purchase, purchase and the post-purchase behaviors.
The decision making of the consumers in the today’s world totally depends on the information
that they get through social media channels which include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and
many others. Most of the marketers of the companies believe that social media marketing of the
product is essential for the company as this is the only way through which the customers can get
the accurate content that can make the changes in the decision making of the consumer
(Schivinski and Dabrowski, 2016). Considering the current report from Deloitte, social media
affects the consumer behavior of different ages, ranges, races and other. In the current era, social
media is used by numerous peoples that fall under the different demographic segments.

Consumer Behaviour 2
The report of Deloitte found that approx. 47% of millennial get influences through social media
for the product purchase. In the US market, the study notes that nearly one in three U.S.
consumers is influenced by the social media in their purchases (Roesler, 2015). The report shows
the consumers who make use of the social media at the time of the shopping process are 4 times
more likely to spend more on purchases than those who do not. The below-given image reflects
the social media impact on the product and the consumer which might lead to the change in the
consumer buying behavior.
(Source: Al-Dhuhli, I. and Ismael, 2013)
The factors that influence the customers include the information, design, psychological and
cultural factors. The psychology of the customers includes beliefs and knowledge for the
customers that are available in the market for the purchase. On the hand, the cultural factors
include the trends or culture that is followed by every customer (Hajli, 2014). These two factors
affect the purchase decision of the consumers. This image clearly shows that there are different
factors that lead to the change in the consumer buying behavior.

Consumer Behaviour 3
The social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many others are used by the
customer before making the purchase as these channels give reliable information. For example; a
customer who is willing to go for a particular movie will check the Facebook and Instagram for
the reviews for the friends who watched the movies. The positive review of the movie will make
the customers watch the movie and the negative review can change the perception of customers
which makes them shift to other movies (Hajli, 2015). This example states that the social media
platforms play a vital role in bringing the change in the consumer behavior of the product.
Consumers make use of these platforms with the motive to get the high and quick responses to
the queries that are posted by them before purchasing the product or after the purchase of the
products. Considering the research, it is the human psychology consumers are more attracted
towards the negative news, reviews or comments. These negative comments or reviews bring the
changes in the consumer behavior for the purchase of the products (Scheinbaum, 2012). Apart
from the social media channels the customers also search for the details on the internet which is
possible with the help of digital marketing.
Digital marketing has touched the new heights with the boom in the use of the smartphones and
tabs. The digital marketing also plays a role in bringing the change in the consumer behavior for
the products. Some of the insights are discussed which help in understanding the role of digital
marketing in bringing the change in customer purchase decision. Customers set their own
benchmarks; the customers know the fact what they are willing to purchase for which they are
making the comparison between the competitive brands (Tuten and Solomon, 2017).
Considering the comparison, the company will make the decision for the purchase of the
products and to meet the consumer-set standards every brand try to provide the high value to the
customers which makes them maintain their presence on social media platforms.

Consumer Behaviour 4
Word of mouth; the word of mouth brings the changes in the purchase decision of the customers.
In the digital marketing, the word of mouth can take place with the help of the reviews of
experts, users, ratings, testimonials and many others (Roesler, 2015). The customers also get the
information for the product or a service which helps them in making the decisions for instance; a
consumer is searching for buying a new mobile phone and visits the social media sites for
searching the features and other facilities that they are going to get with the mobile phone. This
will help the customers in making the decision for the purchasing the product.
Customers make experiments; most of the customers in the market face the trust issues that are
associated with the new product or services. These customers make use of the internet to get the
information and review of the products or services that are posted by the other customers who
might have used the products that are available in the market. Consumer activism on social
media is one of the common aspects which show how the customer communicates the
information through social media (Booth and Matic, 2011). In the current century, most of the
consumer creates the movements in the market with the motive either to promote the products in
the market or to share the experience related to the product to the other customers. This process
includes either positive review sharing or the negative review sharing.
The customers reflect their presence with the help of the social media channels. The customers
make use of Facebook through which they can check in to the places and can reflect their
reviews for the same. These posts of the customers are checked by the other customers who are
willing to visit the place or willing to perform the action for instance; a customer shared the story
or post that he is at hotel Marriott and enjoying the services. One of the friends of him is looking
to book a hotel for the event will take the feedback. These reviews and feedbacks help the
customers in making the decisions. Along with this, there are some of the customers who make

Consumer Behaviour 5
use of the social media to make their family and friends aware of their every activity. The era of
the digital world has brought the changes in the mindset of the customers. Most of the customers
are welcoming new and innovative products but due to the trust issues, they are not able to make
their choices for the purchase of products (Jaakkola and Alexander, 2014).
At this point of time, the customers visit the page of the companies or brand on Facebook,
Twitter, Linked In and on many other websites so that they can get the maximum details and
information about the product. Along with this, this is the only way through which the customers
can check the negative and positive views of the other consumers who made use of that product.
Generally, the people register their complaints and positive reviews or feedback on the
company’s page on social media as this is the effective way to get engage (Jaakkola and
Alexander, 2014). This is one of the effective ways through which the customers share their
activities. This reflects that only the use of the social media channel is increasing for checking
the reviews is increasing but the use of these sites are also creating the impact on the consumer
purchasing decisions or behaviors.
It is recommended to the customers to analyse all the aspects while taking the feedbacks because
sometimes their experience due to some other reasons. The customers should know the fact that
the negative reviews that are posted on website are might be for exploiting the brand image.
Therefore, it is recommended to make the search for the accurate results. Along with this, the
customers should consider their demands while analyzing the feedbacks.
In the end, it can be analyzed that customers make use of social media channels and internet
which helps them in making the decisions effectively. The rise in the use of the internal and
digitalization majorly affects the customer behavior towards the product that they are willing to

Consumer Behaviour 6
purchase. Most of the customers that are using the social networking sites fall under the age
group of 18-25 years. Along with this, the analysis reflects that there are some consumers who
believe in customer activism through which they can share their positive or negative views,
believes, thoughts and experience on the social media. This will help the other customer while
making the purchase decisions for the product.

Consumer Behaviour 7
References
Al-Dhuhli, I. and Ismael, S. (2013) The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Buying Behaviour.
[Online]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275347329 [Accessed on 2nd
June 2018]
Booth, N. and Matic, J.A. (2011) Mapping and leveraging influencers in social media to shape
corporate brand perceptions. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 16(3),
pp.184-191.
Hajli, M.N. (2014) A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International Journal of
Market Research, 56(3), pp.387-404.
Hajli, N. (2015) Social commerce constructs and consumer's intention to buy. International
Journal of Information Management, 35(2), pp.183-191.
Jaakkola, E. and Alexander, M. (2014) The role of customer engagement behavior in value co-
creation: a service system perspective. Journal of Service Research, 17(3), pp.247-261.
Roesler, P. (2015) How social media influences consumer buying decisions [Online]. Available
from: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2015/05/how-social-media-
influences-consumer-buying.html [Accessed on 2nd June 2018]
Scheinbaum, A.C. ed. (2012) Online consumer behavior: theory and research in social media,
advertising, and e-mail. New York: Routledge.
Schivinski, B. and Dabrowski, D. (2016) The effect of social media communication on consumer
perceptions of brands. Journal of Marketing Communications, 22(2), pp.189-214.

Consumer Behaviour 8
Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R. (2017) Social media marketing. California: Sage.
Wang, Y. and Yu, C. (2017) Social interaction-based consumer decision-making model in social
commerce: The role of word of mouth and observational learning. International Journal of
Information Management, 37(3), pp.179-189.