A Study on the Impact of Social Media and Digital Marketing on Consumer Buying Behaviour

Digital marketing has changed the way businesses communicate with consumers, present products and influence purchase decisions. Search engines, social media, websites, email, online reviews and digital advertising provide businesses with opportunities to reach audiences and interact with customers. This paper examines the role of digital marketing in consumer buying behaviour through a review of selected academic literature and published industry evidence. It discusses the contribution of digital marketing to product awareness, information search, and evaluation of alternatives, consumer engagement and purchase intention. The study is descriptive and conceptual in nature and relies entirely on secondary sources; it does not claim to conduct a consumer survey or generate new statistical results. The reviewed literature indicates that digital channels create multiple consumer touchpoints and support interaction, while the effectiveness of campaigns depends on content relevance, trust, customer experience and suitable performance measurement. Published research also highlights challenges relating to privacy, personalization and the influence of online consumer-to-consumer communication. The paper concludes that businesses should use integrated digital marketing strategies, measure outcomes against clear objectives and communicate transparently with consumers..