INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ON CUSTOMER PURCHASE INTENTION: AMONG ELECTRONIC DEVICE CUSTOMERS IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE, SRI LANKA

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.