Social Media and Consumers Buying Behaviour: Empirical Proof from Tertiary Institutions in Kwara State

The increasing usage of social media by different segments of the market especially among the millennials has opened a new boulevard of marketing opportunities for firms to influence consumer buying behavior through social media platforms available on the net. This study essentially examined the impact of social media on consumer buying behavior as well as the relationship between Social media sites and consumer buying behavior using Kwara State Tertiary Institutions as a case study. The data for study was collected through a structured questionnaire which was administered on 334 respondents who are selected through a mixture of stratified and simple random sampling techniques from the six tertiary Institutions located across the three senatorial districts of the state. The study data were presented using frequency distribution tables, and charts, while multiple regression analysis was used as instrument of analysis. It was found that consumer buying behavior has a significant positive relationship with all the social media networking sites and that social media networking sites have significant impact on consumer buying behavior Kwara State Tertiary Institutions. The study recommended that corporate managers should leverage on the significant impact that exists between social media sites and consumer buying behavior to formulate appropriate virtual world programmes and strategies for their products which will serve as interactive communities where buyers could share product information and experience.