Explore the evidence.
Understand the reach.

Today is the era of digitalization. Nowadays, people prefer to attach their lives to social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Hence, manufacturers and producers use social media tremendously in this digital era to reach customers with their products and services. Thus, social media marketing has become famous for businesses to promote their products or services, engage with their customers, and build brand awareness. The present study focuses on reviewing the mediating role played by several social media platforms to gain the interest of consumers. This paper also aims to analyze the necessity of social media marketing compared to other marketing communication and promotion forms. This paper helps the reader decide whether to depend on social media only for marketing purposes or whether there can be a choice of another means. Without analyzing the pros and cons, relying heavily on social media platforms for marketing is not always a good idea. The author employed a qualitative and descriptive method for constructing the paper. This paper will review the literature regarding social media marketing compared to other means, try to recommend, and shed light on selecting the right marketing platform by different marketers. The study's main findings demonstrate that measures should be taken to enhance responsible use and limit some of its harmful effects. Furthermore, in providing insights into whether social media marketing is a necessity or a choice, the author suggests that productive utilization should be the main priority for all, whether social media or other platforms.

Gen Z controls almost the entire population in the world with a total number of almost two billion people worldwide. This generation will be the largest consumer group in the world. In Indonesia itself, In 2020, Gen Z occupied the highest percentage of the population. Therefore, Gen Z is a potential target market that has a considerable influence on purchasing decisions. Based on the characteristics of Gen Z, who are digital natives, the use of social media is the right marketing strategy for consumers who are counted into Gen Z category. Promotional activities, as part of a marketing strategy, especially through social media require influencers as endorsers. This study aims to investigate the factors that influence the credibility attributes of social media influencers on the purchase intentions of Gen Z consumers. This study uses influencer credibility attributes (attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness) as independent variables that influence the purchase intention of Gen Z consumers with brand image as a mediation. This research is categorized as explanatory research. The respondents in this study were Gen Z who used Korean cosmetic products throughout Indonesia, the determination of the number of samples in this study used a purposive sampling technique with a sample of 210 respondents. The method of collecting data is using a questionnaire, the data is analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results showed that the three attributes of influencer credibility had a significant effect on the purchase intention of Gen Z. The three attributes of credibility had a significant effect on brand image, brand image had a significant effect on purchase intention. Brand image can provide a full mediating role in the relationship of influencer credibility to the purchase intention of Gen Z consumers. Local cosmetic industry players are expected to improve marketing strategies through online channels, especially social media by utilizing the right influencers as their endorsers, because it is proven in this study, credibility of social media influencers have a significant effect on the brand image of a product and the purchase intention of Gen Z consumers, so that the local cosmetic industry in Indonesia can compete with foreign cosmetic industries.

The aim of the paper is to investigate the impact of SEO on the business performance of a private university in Sarajevo. Thus, the main research question provides the finding on how does the implementation of SEO influence the performance of the business. Moreover, the tested hypothesis presents whether SEO positively influences the business performance of International Burch University (IBU). The research strategy is to analyze primary data derived from a case study, which is generated following a conversation with the Head of the IBU Marketing and PR team. The data sample is derived from Google Analytics (focusing on the number of visits and sessions, average engagement time, keywords and SERP positioning). Seobility tools are employed in data analysis. Business performance is calculated through the IBU CRM system, focusing on student enrolment. Findings indicate that increasing a site's rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) led to a variety of positive outcomes for companies including an increase in the number of visitors to the site, an increase in the average amount of time users spent on the site, increased user engagement, and an increase in student enrollment, which resulted in IBU increased annual sales revenue. It will benefit many different groups, including the government, which will benefit in both microeconomic and macroeconomic senses, digital marketing enthusiasts and SEO experts, and the academic world, which will benefit as a framework for future studies and research in the field of SEO recognition and implementation in business queries.

The study was motivated by the need to highlight the roles played by social media marketing on consumers' purchase intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since it was a quantitative study, hypotheses were tested to generate findings. We used IBM SPSS 25.0 software to analyze using reliability statistics, descriptive statistics, and IBM SPSS Amos 26.0 software was used to do confirmatory factor analysis for the purpose of developing hypothesis, and SEM used for trying to fit the model. The primary data was mustered by personal interview in an online survey method through a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert scales from 240 Bangladeshi online consumers. These findings publicized that social media marketing (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) a significant stimulus on consumers purchase intention during COVID-19, and all factors except discount or coupon offer and brand awareness had an epoch-making and constructive connection with consumers’ purchase intention during the coronavirus malady (COVID-19) epidemic in Bangladesh.

 This study aims to analyze the influence of elements of social media marketing activity on consumer engagement and brand knowledge including brand awareness and image. This study used a quantitative method and purposive sampling technique on 250 respondents. The research was conducted on all Indonesian citizens who use social media WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, youtube, and TikTok regarding the culinary business of celebrities and YouTubers in Indonesia. The method used is the Structural Equation Model with AMOS 24.0 Software. The results of this study indicate that the interaction variables, trends, and EWOM have a positive and significant effect on consumer engagement, and consumer engagement has a positive and significant effect on brand awareness and brand image. While the entertainment and customization variables have no significant effect on consumer engagement.

This study investigates the relationship between exposure to online promotional content and changes in business image evaluations and purchase intention toward informal clothing enterprises in Bangladesh. Based on the O-S-O-R framework, the study conceptualizes online promotional content as the stimulus, post-exposure business image as the post-orientation construct, and purchase intention as the response, considering age group and frequency of social media usage as pre-orientation factors. Using a nonprobability purposive sampling approach with self-selected participation, the study implemented a one-group pretest-posttest design through an online questionnaire administered to 391 respondents in Bangladesh. Analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability tests, exploratory factor analysis, paired-samples t tests, Spearman correlations, and linear regression. Results indicated statistically significant increases between pre-exposure and post-exposure for business image (mean difference = −1.297, t = −50.945, p < .001) and purchase intention (mean difference = −1.254, t = −39.308, p < .001). Age group was negatively associated with post-exposure business image, whereas frequency of social media use was positively associated with it. Post-exposure business image was also a strong predictor of purchase intention (β = .486, p < .001, R² = .236). This study contributes to the literature by extending extant research on digital consumer response in informal small-business clothing retail in Bangladesh and suggests that well-designed promotional content is positively associated with business evaluations and purchase-related intentions. Since this study used a one-group pretest-posttest design, the results should be interpreted as evidence of association rather than causation.

In the era of e-commerce and the increasing digitalization of consumer journeys, online customer reviews have become a decisive factor influencing potential buyers’ decisions. This study investigates the effect of online experience sharing on consumers’ purchase intentions across six key dimensions: emotional valence, quantity, content quality, responsiveness, reviewer reputation, and review recency. A quantitative research design was employed using data collected from a sample of 320 online consumers. The dataset was analyzed through multiple linear regression models to assess the relative impact of each dimension. The findings reveal that all six dimensions exert a positive and statistically significant influence on consumers’ purchase intentions, with emotional valence and review content emerging as the most influential factors. These results contribute to the growing body of literature on online consumer behavior and provide valuable managerial insights for digital marketing practitioners aiming to optimize electronic word-of-mouth strategies.

This study explored the complex decision-making process and the factors used by people, influencers, and brands when selecting social media platforms. The various factors include target demographics, values, content style, and overall marketing strategy. The study aimed to assess the importance of aligning personal preferences, user fit, and creative vision in selecting which social media platforms to use for a brand. To build a stronger level of engagement, content must be designed in a way that creates value for individual consumers. The Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) provided a framework for understanding the motivations of millennials seeking a specific type of content on social media and how brands select social media platforms. A mixed-methods approach was used for the study to obtain the perspectives of both social media content creators and customers. The target population comprised millennials in the greater Durban area. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 400 participants for quantitative data and 10 content creators for qualitative data collection. Data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively using thematic analysis and SPSS version 28.0, respectively. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between personal preferences, user fit, and creative vision in shaping the digital landscape. The study findings suggest that influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for promoting brand preference. Brands should carefully select influencers whose followers align with their target audience and ensure they have a strong following and the trust of their followers. The findings emphasise the effectiveness of diverse content types and customer appreciation posts. Businesses should tailor their content strategies to suit their brand identity and connect with their audience effectively. Different social media platforms offer unique features and formats.    

The study seeks to ascertain the factors of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) influencing consumer buying behaviour. This research aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about the factors of e-WOM that influence consumer buying decisions while making an online purchase. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to measure and analyse the relationships between observed and latent variables. The results reveal that e-WOM valence is the most influential e-WOM factor during online purchase decisions. Marketers must pay close attention to negative e-WOMs, monitor unfavourable evaluations and use negative feedback to improve product and service quality.

This study explores the impact of digital marketing on consumer decision-making within Durban’s grocery retail sector, with a particular focus on Spar South Beach. Employing a quantitative descriptive survey approach, primary data was gathered through structured questionnaires distributed to 278 shoppers, complemented by secondary data from academic and government sources. Findings indicate that digital marketing significantly influences purchasing behaviors, with 78.6% of respondents acknowledging that Spar’s digital content influenced their decision to shop there. Social media was identified as the primary engagement channel, and digital loyalty rewards were strong predictors of repeat purchase intentions. Reliability analysis showed excellent scale consistency (Cronbach’s ? = 0.941, KMO = 0.943), and results revealed notable differences across age groups, with younger consumers exhibiting greater responsiveness to digital marketing efforts. Gender and educational attainment did not significantly moderate responses. These insights highlight the importance of leveraging social media campaigns, targeted promotions, and digital loyalty programs to enhance customer engagement and drive conversions, while also considering generational preferences. The study provides valuable, context-specific insights into the South African grocery retail industry, emphasizing the role of digital touchpoints in transitioning consumers from engagement to purchase.