Abstract:
This research offers a comprehensive analysis of the data obtained to examine
how social media marketing affects customers’ intentions toward purchasing
electronic devices in the southern province of Sri Lanka. Most research on social
media marketing and purchase intention focuses on general consumer goods or
services. Studies on electronic devices as a product category remain limited.
Given that the purchase of electronic devices often involves more significant
research, higher involvement, and longer decision-making processes compared
to other consumer goods. And similarly, there is relatively few research that has
a specific focus on Sri Lanka's Southern Province. The target population of this
research is people who live in the southern province of Sri Lanka and use social
media. The sample size was 344 by using the convenience sampling method. This
study used a quantitative approach, primary data was collected from the well
structured online questionnaire. This study used descriptive analysis,
correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis to test the theoretical
framework and establish hypotheses. According to the result of this study, there
is a strong positive linear relationship between independent and dependent
variables. The tested hypothesis that is, purchase intention, is highly influenced
by consumer engagement and brand awareness in the context of social media
marketing. Despite being positively correlated, trust is not statistically
significant. In the demographics, data has shown that different age groups use
social media. This gap could explore how younger versus older consumers
engage with social media platforms and how that influences their decision
making process for high-involvement purchases like electronics. Measuring the
direct impact of social media marketing on purchase intentions remains a
challenge. These statistics make further analysis and interpretation possible.
According to this extends theoretical models of brand salience and recall,
suggesting that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others amplify brand
visibility in ways that
directly translate to purchase intention. This study
suggests that brand awareness on social media should be viewed as a multi
dimensional construct, not just limited to exposure but also including active
brand engagement and interaction. The finding that customer engagement
significantly influences purchase intention adds depth to theories of customer
46 9th Interdisciplinary Conference of Management Researchers
(ICMR 2024) Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
engagement, especially within the social media domain. It shows that social
media platforms are more than just marketing tools; they facilitate deeper
interactions between brands and consumers, which in turn leads to higher
purchase intentions. The relationship between engagement and purchase
intention demonstrated by the Beta coefficient of 0.622 emphasizes the central
role of interaction intensity, suggesting that future models should account for the
different layers of customer-brand interaction in a social media setting. The
finding that trust did not reach statistical significance challenges conventional
theories that place trust as a key determinant of purchase intention. Future
research may need to investigate whether trust is context-dependent and how it
varies across product categories or platforms.
