International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science & Social Science (IJEMMASSS) 52

ISSN : 2581-9925, Impact Factor: 6.340, Volume 03, No. 02(IV), April - June, 2021, pp.52-55

SOCIAL MEDIA RESHAPING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN INDIA

Pallavi Verma

ABSTRACT

In the modern era, the use of Social media platforms by consumers has mostly increased and
consequently it has extensive impacted consumers in numerous ways. There are many social media
platforms that influence consumer behaviour. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube and whatsapp etc. is having many features which attract and influence consumers. Social
media has become a strong and effective tool used by marketers to engage consumers in various
activities to influence their buying behaviour. Last decade in India has seen enormous growth in social
media users. Many factors have contributed to this rise in numbers like, advancements in technology,
government initiatives, internet availability across nation and increase in number of mobile users etc. This
has resulted in change in consumers’ perceptions, attitude and purchase behaviour. The freedom of
interaction among consumers themselves and marketers has brought about huge transformation in
consumer behaviour. The objective of this study is to understand social media and impact of social media
on consumer behaviour in India.

Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Business Strategy, Mobile Users, Marketers.
________________
Introduction
Social Media: Indian Perspective
Social media usage in India during last few years has increased tremendously and has led to
huge transformations in the way people communicate, share, buy and sell products and services. The
total number of social media users reported in 2021 is a whooping 448 million which is over 32% of the
total population of India (Fig.1). Many factors have contributed to this rise in numbers like, advancements
in technology, government initiatives, internet availability across nation and increase in number of mobile
users etc. Marketers are well aware of this shift brought about by social media and are quickly adapting
to the changed scenario. Social media marketing is now an integral component of the overall marketing
strategies formulated by marketers. Most of the organizations, whether big or small, have made their
presence on social media platforms like facebook, instagram, twitter and other digital media.

Figure 1: Social Media Users in India

(Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-india)


Research Scholar, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, M.P., India.
Pallavi Verma: Social Media Reshaping Consumer Behaviour in India 53
Social media is an umbrella term used to describe various platforms that enable individuals to
connect and communicate with each other, express their opinions, share their views and experiences
and hence create and disseminate information through these platforms. Solis (2007) defined social media
as “[...] online tools that people use to share content, profiles, opinions, insights, experiences,
perspectives and media itself, thus facilitating conversations and interaction online between groups of
people.”
Hoffman et al. (2013) provided another definition of social media “The set of web-based and
mobile tools and applications that allow people to create (consume) content that can be consumed
(created) by others and which enables and facilitates connections” Social media marketing has become
the most effective and influentialtool used by marketers to reach out to their customers. Social media has
replaced the traditional marketing methods in many ways and has provided new avenues for marketers
to engage consumers in effective communication. Social media has transformed the channels, content
and ways that marketers and consumers used to communicate with each other. Among the social media
platforms used in India, Youtube is the most used platform, followed by facebook, whatsapp, instagram
and twitter (Fig.2).

Figure 2: Most Used Social Media Platforms in India

(Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-india)
Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour is the behaviour exhibited by individuals during the purchase journey. This
behaviour is governed by various factors such as, demographic factors, geographic factors,
psychological factor, personal factors and behavioural factors. All of these factors have combined impact
on consumers. Study of consumer behaviour is very critical for marketers to ensure success of their
products and to build their brand in the market. Blackwell et al. (2006) defined consumer behaviour as
“Consumer Behaviour is defined as the activities people undertake when obtaining, consuming and
disposing of products and services.”
According to Solomon (2013) “Consumer Behaviour is the study of the processes involved when
individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy
needs and desires.” Consumers go through a series of stages during their purchase journey which is
called consumer decision making process. Various researchers have defined this process in order to
understand and analyse the way consumers behave during pre purchase, purchase and post purchase
stages of decision making.

Figure 3: Consumer Decision Making Process (Silvermann, 2001)

54 International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science & Social Science (IJEMMASSS) - April - June, 2021

Problem Recognition
When an individual recognizes considerable difference between the desired and actual value
derived from product or service that he is presently consuming, it gives rise to problem recognition. This
triggers an individual to purchase products that can fill this gap and hence undertake decision making
process. A need can be aroused due to both internal or external factors.
Search for Information
An individual before making a purchase, acquires complete information related to the product he
intends buy. A consumer is interested in knowing the available options, their price, quality, different
variables available and more such information. This knowledge can be acquired through many sources
like advertisements, brochures, magazines, newspapers and very prevalent source in present times is
digital media. Various social media platforms are available for a consumer to get updated information
about a product or a service.
Evaluation of Alternatives
After collecting information regarding various options that are available for a consumer, he evaluates
these options. Based on consumer’s need, previous experiences, attitude and motives an individual makes
evaluation to make final decision regarding purchase of a product or service. Social media plays a critical role
as consumers now consider likes, reviews and ratings by their peers and other consumers for making
evaluation. Any negative review can discourage a consumer for purchasing a product. Hence marketers
should make an effort to spread positive word of mouth on their social media platforms.
Purchase Decision
Consumers after carefully evaluating various available options, decide to make purchase or to
delay the decision. This stage is the actual action oriented stage, where the consumer decides whether
or not to go ahead with making purchase of a particular product or a service. Social media platforms
provide numerous convenient options for consumers to make purchase and payment that encourage
them to buy products and services both online and offline.
Post- Purchase Behaviour
The consumer feels satisfied or dissatisfied based on the experience after consuming the
product. This stage determines whether consumer will adapt the product and repurchase it or not. A
satisfied consumer will not only repurchase the product himself but will also recommend it to others.
Social media provide effective platforms for a consumer to express his satisfaction or dissatisfaction with
his friends and other consumers.
Paradigm Shift in Consumer Behaviour
Digital media has influenced every industry including retail, food, travel, apparel, electronics and
furniture. Social media influences the communication ways between marketers and buyers. Various
social media platforms influence theconsumers significantly in their purchase decision. The information is
no longer controlled by marketers. User generated content is now mostly referred by consumers to get
information. Social media enables consumers to search the product, get detailed information, compare
products, view the reviews and ratings before making purchase of a product or service. Consumer
behavior analysis has become a complex process for marketers as most consumers nowadays use
digital media for making purchase decisions. Hence it has become necessary for marketers to analyse
the influence of social media marketing on consumer behaviour.

Figure 4: Ecommerce Activity Overview in India

(Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-india)
Pallavi Verma: Social Media Reshaping Consumer Behaviour in India 55
According to a study consumers use social media platforms during all three stages of decision
making (pre- purchase stage, purchase stage and post- purchase stage). Figure 3 shows the data of
consumers using digital platforms for searching information online, visiting online retail store or
purchasing product online. 79.3% consumers used digital media to search for information related to
product or service. 95.3% consumers visited online retail store before making a purchase. 76.7%
consumers used digital media to make purchase of a product online. These statistics clearly show that
digital media has made significantly positive impact on consumer behaviour.
Conclusion
The present study explores the indispensable role that social media marketing has gained in
past few years. Almost all kinds of businesses have made their presence on social media to
communicate with their customers and engage them throughout their purchase journey. Consumers and
marketers use various social media platforms to attract consumers and influence their preferences.
Various studies are being conducted by marketers to understand the transformed consumer behaviour to
efficiently formulate effective marketing strategies. Social media platforms are extensively used by both
marketers and consumers to share their views and experiences about products and services used by
them. With access to nebulous content online at the click of a button, consumers have become more
powerful and it has posed challenge for marketers to turn every opportunity in their favour. Thus, by
integrating social media marketing with the traditional marketing strategies used by marketers,
companies can pave way for a bright future.
References
1. Blackwell, R. D., Miniard, P. W. and Engel, J. F., 2006. Consumer behavior. 10th edition.
2. Mason, OH: Thomson Business and Economics. Bloch, P. H. and Richins, M. L., 1983.
Shopping without
3. Chaturvedi.et.al (2014). An Effect of Social Media on the Youth Buyer Behaviour for Apparels in
Jaipur city. International Journal of Business and Administration Research Review, Vol.2,
Issue.5
4. Dhiman, R., Chand, P. K., & Gupta, S. (2018). Behavioural aspects influencing decision to
purchase apparels amongst young Indian consumers. FIIB Business Review, 7(3), 188-200.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2319714518790308
5. Hoffman, D. L., Novak, T. P. and Stein, R., 2013. The Digital Consumer. In: Belk, R. W. and
a. Llamas, R., eds. The Digital Consumer. London: Routlege, 28-38.
6. Nair K. (2019). Paradigm Shifts in Indian Retail – Trends and Prospects. International Journal of
Indian Culture and Business Management, Vol. 18(4): 518-529.
7. Sharma, B. K., & Parmar S. (2018). Impact of Demographic Factors on Online Purchase
Intention through Social Media- with reference to Pune, Maharashtra. Journal of Management
Research and Analysis (JMRA), Vol. 5 (1), Pages: 45-50 http://jmraonline.com
8. Suresh A., & Ramanathan V. (2019). Factors of Store Attributes and Image and its Impact on
Consumer Purchase Intention in Organized Grocery Retail Stores in the city of Bangalore. PIMT
Journal of Research, Vol. 12(1), pp. 146-149.
9. Solis, B., 2007. Defining Social media. Brian Solis [online]. 28 June 2007. Available from:
http://www.briansolis.com/2007/06/defining-social-media.html
10. Solomon, M. R., 2013. Consumer behavior: buying, having, and being. 10th edition. Boston,
MA: Pearson.
