The Future Role of Influencing Customer Purchase Decisions

through Social Media Engagement

Jiji George and Ebenezer Paul Rajan T.Y

Department of Management, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education (KAHE), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Keywords: Consumer behavior, Fashion products, Social media, Purchase decisions.

Abstract: This Instagram influences young consumers decisions to buy fashion items. A valid respondent was

obtained using the study's quantitative methodology, which used snowball sampling. Sellers must consider

and sustain interaction by producing individualized content, as the results show that it is important for

consumer satisfaction but not for purchase decisions. Customer satisfaction and purchasing decisions are

also greatly influenced by seller openness communications, which highlight the significance of precise and

comprehensive product information. The study also emphasizes how important brand familiarity and

proximity are in raising customer happiness, showing that engaging customers requires individualized care

and innovative, consistent message content. Additionally, the results show that continuing social media

interaction and after-sales support are critical to sustaining consumer satisfaction following a purchase.

1 INTRODUCTION

People may now readily communicate with one

another because to the rise of the Internet, using a

variety of platforms like social media, chat apps,

email, and mobile phones .These days, social media

has become quite popular, and many people use it not

just because it works well but also because it has

become a way of life, particularly among young

people like Generation Z. Instagram is currently one

of the most widely used social networking platforms

instagram was the most popular social media

network among Generation Z in 2025, according to

the social poll, with medium of Indians using it.

Instagram even performs better than other social

media sites like Facebook and WhatsApp in terms of

user preference. Due to its widespread use and large

user base among Generation Z, numerous companies

are now attempting to market their goods to this

demographic (W. Tissera et al. 2024) However, as

many businesses invest a significant amount of

money in social media advertising with the goal of

boosting sales, brand awareness, and relationship

development, other businesses are also targeting this

market in an effort to increase competition(Ahmed et

al.2024).The majority of people in developing

nations like India still conduct business directly

through social media users' financial accounts (S.

Ananda et al. 2024), despite the availability of safe

platforms like e-commerce for product purchases.

This is because, according to earlier research (Basuki

et al. 2024) customers have a high degree of trust in

social media users, and the total amount of

transactions on these platforms exceeds $1-4 billion.

However, certain empirical data also revealed that

since 2024, the number of digital transaction scams

has been steadily rising, exceeding $48 billion

globally (de Figueiredo Marcos and J. L. Brás,

2022). In light of this, the study's goal is to

investigate social media buying considerations

because, on the one hand, the shift in consumer

behavior brought about by COVID-19 has led to

consumers preferring to shop online over in-store,

and on the other hand, many businesses now view

social media as an effective medium for reaching

potential customers by fostering positive customer

engagement. This study is significant because social

media-using firms are greatly impacted by this

phenomena and must comprehend consumer

behavior in order to improve customer experience

and obtain a competitive edge.

588

George, J. and Y., E. P. R. T.

The Future Role of Inﬂuencing Customer Purchase Decisions through Social Media Engagement.

DOI: 10.5220/0013917300004919

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Research and Development in Information, Communication, and Computing Technologies (ICRDICCT‘25 2025) - Volume 4, pages

588-592

ISBN: 978-989-758-777-1

2 RELATED WORK

The business environment of marketing and customer

behavior a radical change Fashion design developed

into a potent instrument that has a big influence on

corporate operations and is no longer just a medium

for interpersonal communication (M. Han and J.

Park, 2023). Social media, as opposed to traditional

print media, offers a dynamic and interactive setting

where businesses may communicate directly with

customers, influencing their opinions and intents to

buy through persuasive content and focused

messaging (M. R. Ndineyi and S. Theerakittikul et

al. 2022). The production and distribution of

distinctive and captivating material intended to grab

users' attention and pique their interest in the goods

or services being promoted is the foundation of social

media promotion .Businesses can successfully

convey their brand messages and value propositions

to a worldwide audience by combining aesthetically

pleasing imagery, compelling messaging, and

interactive features content, overcoming regional

limitations and conventional marketing restrictions

(J. Nk and R. Raman 2024). Numerous indicators for

gauging social media engagement have been

identified by earlier research, including both

qualitative and quantitative elements like the volume

and caliber of user-brand interactions as well as

quantitative metrics like the number of followers,

likes, and shares research has consistently

demonstrated that social media interaction and

consumer purchase intention are positively

correlated, with higher levels of participation being

associated with a higher likelihood of making a

purchase (J. Chen et al. 2023). This phenomenon can

be ascribed to the immersive nature of social media

interactions, which reduce perceived risks associated

with online transactions and facilitate decision-

making by enabling users to explore products, ask

other users for recommendations, and have real-time

conversations with brands (T. Lodkaew et al. 2018).

Furthermore, social media interaction influences

customer happiness and brand loyalty in addition to

direct purchase decisions. Additionally, studies show

that elements like relationship closeness, openness

(communication), and brand familiarity are crucial in

determining how consumers view brands and how

likely they are to buy or suggest the items to

others(S. Kumar et al. 2024) Businesses can increase

customer satisfaction and optimize the lifetime value

of their clientele by establishing trust and promoting

positive connections through genuine communication

and tailored experiences.

Suggest the following theories to be investigated

in this study based on the understanding obtained

from the evaluated literature that already explains

Social media interaction influences the purchase

decision influences customer satisfaction positively

influences the purchase decision positively influences

customer satisfaction has a helpful relationship with

the purchase decision positive relationship with the

customer satisfaction has a relationship closeness

influences the purchase decision has a positive

relationship with the purchase decision (PD)( M. S.

Arunkumar et al. 2024). customer satisfaction is

influenced by relationship closeness and customer

satisfaction is influenced by purchase decision .

3 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY

The snowball sampling, a quantitative research

strategy that starts with a small number of samples

and then grows larger, will be used in this study.

Researchers distribute the surveys both locally and

online in order to collect the data(K. M, G. Shrimal

et al. 2023). The Likert scale pertaining to the

respondents' thoughts and evaluations will be used to

measure the questions. An interval measuring

instrument called the Likert scale has five levels for

evaluating scores, the indicator from the prior study

to ascertain the relationship between the research

variables. Two indicators are used to measure social

media interactivity, two indicators are used to

measure familiarity, two indicators are used to

determine closeness, two indicators are used to

determine openness, two indicators are used to

determine satisfaction, and two indicators are used to

determine purchase intention. With a 10% margin of

error and a population of 2.5 million people living in

Bandung, the sample size for this study was

established using the Slovin algorithm (M. A.

Mohammed et al. 2024).

Therefore, the research yields 246 valid sample

sizes, with a minimum sample size of 99.99, rounded

to 100 respondents. Male and female respondents

must meet the following requirements in order to be

considered for this study city permanent residents be

active on social media or heavy users; and have prior

experience buying fashion items on social media(Y.

Liu and L. Wang 2024). SMART-PLS software tools

will be used to evaluate the acquired questionnaire

data in order to assess its validity and reliability and

carry out hypothesis testing.

The Future Role of Inﬂuencing Customer Purchase Decisions through Social Media Engagement

589

4 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

Demographic information and social media activity

are among the variables displayed of the respondent

profile. It is evident that the respondents' genders are

nearly evenly distributed respondents are men and

respondents are women. Regarding the respondents'

ages, the majority of our research between the ages

of 18 and 30. Our respondents' social media behavior

also demonstrates that they have experience making

purchases on social media, making purchases on

social media per month and completing 3-4

transactions.

Additionally, individuals spend more than

minutes a day on social media, indicating that this

platform has an impact on their life. This result is

consistent with We Are Social's statistics, which

indicates that a large number of young people utilize

social media to purchase goods or services.

4.1 Test of Validity and Reliability

The validity and dependability of our suggested

model. The construct of validity and reliability also

demonstrates that all thresholds values, including

indicating a suitable outcome for the outer loadings

components. This outcome shows how well the

constructs measure the desired ideas. Because all of

the validity and reliability values are less than 5, the

collinearity analysis result, suggests that our

indicators in this study do not exhibit problematic

levels of multicollinearity within the assessed

constructs .This result enhances our comprehension

of the connection between the study variables and the

analysis's dependability.

This could imply that although brand awareness

can increase sales, the quality of the product or

service, trust, and the post-purchase experience all

have a greater impact on consumer happiness. Being

fig 1 transparent in communication as a social media

seller aids in both influencing a customer's decision

to buy .The results on openness and relationship

closeness support the idea that building great

relationships with customers and communicating

openly are crucial.

Given that open communication is positively

correlated with both purchase decisions and customer

happiness, it suggests that consumers like brands that

are transparent and communicative .Customers are

influenced by the intimacy of a relationship and

prefer to purchase from brands with which they have

a personal connection. However, the fact that it had

no discernible impact on customer happiness

suggests that other factors may be more crucial in

predicting post-purchase customer pleasure.

These Figure 1 indicate that social media sellers

should be transparent and unambiguous about the full

product specifications and materials they offer to

clients, particularly when doing so in a way that

prevents clients from touching or directly viewing the

details .Accordingly,

Our research also demonstrates that proximity

can affect consumers' decisions to buy by 0.17,

indicating that online sellers must also foster

intimacy and involvement with their clients. The

findings on relationship closeness and openness lend

credence to the notion that open communication and

fostering strong customer relationships are essential.

Figure 1: Output of Customer Purchase -Social Media

Engagement.

Customers prefer brands that are open and

communicative, as evidenced by the favorable

correlations found between open communication and

both purchase decisions and customer satisfaction

.Consumers are swayed by the closeness of a

relationship and favor brands that they are personally

associated with. Its lack of a noticeable effect on

customer satisfaction, however, raises the possibility

that other variables are more important in predicting

customer satisfaction after a purchase.

5 RESULTS & DISCUSSION

The association between Instagram social media and

fashion goods purchases has been examined in this

study. All of these findings suggest that social media

ICRDICCT‘25 2025 - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INFORMATION,

COMMUNICATION, AND COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES

590

merchants should stress how customers' decisions to

buy are influenced by openness, familiarity, and

intimacy. Social media vendors promote open and

honest communication, fostering a sense of intimacy

and connection, boosting brand awareness, engaging

with clients in real time, and providing excellent

post-purchase assistance. Social media sellers can

build strong relationships with their customers by

encouraging open communication and customizing

their approaches to interact with them personally. For

instance, they can use social media tools like live

streams, interactive stories, and community groups to

foster a feeling of community and loyalty among

their clientele. Table 1 Shows the Purchase

Decisions.

Table 1: Purchase Decisions.

In Shopping and OFF Shopping Portals

Branding Social Media

Increasing brand

awareness is crucial

for influencing

customer choices,

highlighting the

need of trustworthy

branding and

engaging stories

that appeal to the

target market.

The connection

between happiness and

purchase decisions,

particularly the

significance of after-

sales care,

demonstrates that the

customer journey goes

beyond the point of

sale.

The substantial

influence that

interaction has on

customer

satisfaction

emphasizes the

need for engaging

and personalized

experiences. Sellers

should focus on

understanding

customers'

preferences through

data analysis,

providing

individualized

items, and giving

recommendations

that are particularly

pertinent to the

customer in order to

maintain their

interest and

satisfaction.

To convert one-time

purchasers into devoted

clients, post-purchase

interaction and efficient

customer support are

essential. Social media

should be used by

sellers to stay in touch

with clients, get their

opinions, and aid in

order to enhance the

client experience in

general

6 CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, it is also advised that fashion companies

targeting Generation Z consumers concentrate more

on social media interaction and specific information.

In the interaction component, merchants might

concentrate on promptly and receptively answering

messages or inquiries from prospective customers,

since this can increase their perceived value. In the

Instagram social media comment box, sellers can

also invite purchasers to join in on discussions or

chats..Furthermore, we advise fashion vendors to

reply to reviews or give customers comments. To

interact with potential customers, sellers can also use

interactive Instagram social media features like polls

and Q&A sessions. Additionally, sellers need to give

prospective purchasers accurate and comprehensive

information in order to satisfy the information factor.

Since this is frequently overlooked in practice,

fashion goods vendors might publish the precise and

comprehensive sizes of their items on Instagram

social media. In addition, the information that is

presented to potential customers needs to be diverse,

which includes using a range of media, including

text, images, and videos, to improve their

comprehension and appeal. . It should be mentioned

that in order to avoid confusing potential customers,

the material should also be straightforward.

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COMMUNICATION, AND COMPUTING TECHNOLOGIES

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