The Influence of Social Media on Consumer Choices: A Practical Investigation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59992/IJFAES.2025.v4n3p2Keywords:
Social Media, Consumer Behavior, Psychological Factors, Cultural Factors, Purchasing DecisionsAbstract
This research examines the ways in which social media, with its interactive nature and ability to share content, shape consumer behavior in Baghdad. The study examines a range of social, psychological, and cultural factors that influence purchasing decisions in this context. We collected information by answering a questionnaire, a random sample of 140 social media users in Baghdad Governorate, and analyzed it using the statistical program SPSS. The results reveal that social media has a significant impact on consumer behavior, with 70% of respondents indicating that they purchased products based on recommendations they encountered on these platforms. This confirms the role of social media as a powerful channel for word-of-mouth marketing. The study concludes by providing recommendations for both consumers and businesses on how to effectively leverage these platforms.
References
1. Al-Ali, Sami. (2018), Consumer behavior in the digital age, Riyadh: Dar Al-Zahra for Publishing and Distribution.
2. Al-Khatib, Muhammad. (2020). Social Media Marketing. Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
3. Mr. Ahmed. (2021), the impact of social media on youth, Amman: Dar Al-Shorouk for Publishing and Distribution.
4. Omari, Muhammad. (2023), the impact of social media on consumer behavior, Beirut: Arab Science House Publishers.
5. Al-Shehri, Sarah. (2022). Digital Marketing in the Age of Social Media. Riyadh: Jarir Bookstore.
6. Al-Abdullah, Khaled. (2021) Consumer Behavior: An Arab Perspective. Kuwait: That Al Salasil.
7. Aaker, D. A., & Moorman, C. (2018). Strategic market management. John Wiley & Sons.
8. Alalwan, A. A., Dwivedi, Y. K., Rana, N. P., & Algharabat, R. (2017). Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), 1177-1190.
9. Blackwell, R. D., Miniard, P. W., & Engel, J. F. (2006). Consumer behavior. Thomson South-Western.
10. Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230.
11. Carr, C. T., & Hayes, R. A. (2015). Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23(1), 46-65.
12. Cheung, C. M., Chiu, P. Y., & Lee, M. K. (2011). Online social networks: Why do students use Facebook? Computers in Human Behavior, 27(4), 1337-1343.
13. Foxall, G. R., Oliveira-Castro, J. M., James, V. K., & Schrezenmaier, T. C. (2007). The behavioral economics of consumer brand choice: Patterns of reinforcement and utility maximization. Management Decision, 45(6), 851-869.
14. Godes, D., & Mayzlin, D. (2004). Using online conversations to study word-of-mouth communication. Marketing Science, 23(4), 545-560.
15. Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We’re all connected: The power of social media. Business Horizons, 54(3), 265-273.
16. Hawkins, D. I., Best, R. J., & Coney, K. A. (2001). Consumer behavior: Building marketing strategy. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
17. Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2010). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 24(1), 38-52.
18. Hoyer, W. D., MacInnis, D. J., & Pieters, R. (2018). Consumer behavior. Cengage Learning.
19. Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68.
20. Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
21. Loudon, D. L., & Della Bitta, A. J. (1993). Consumer behavior: Concepts and applications. McGraw-Hill.
22. Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons, 52(4), 357-365.
23. Papacharissi, Z. (2010). A private sphere: Democracy in a digital age. Polity.
24. Schiffman, L. G., & Kanuk, L. L. (2007). Consumer behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
25. Schiffman, L. G., & Wisenblit, J. L. (2019). Consumer behavior. Pearson Education Limited.
26. Solomon, M. R. (2017). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being. Pearson Education Limited.
27. Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J. K., Liang, T. P., & Turban, D. C. (2015). Electronic commerce 2016. Springer.