SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF DIGITAL INFLUENCE, CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT, AND EMERGING MARKETING TRENDS

Paper ID: EIJTEM_2026_13_3_76-84

Author's Name: Ms Mukta Dengra

Volume: 13

Issue: 3

Year: 2026

Page No: 76-84

Abstract:

The rapid expansion of social media has transformed the marketing landscape by fundamentally changing how consumers search for information, evaluate alternatives, and make purchasing decisions. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) have evolved beyond communication tools into powerful marketing ecosystems that enable businesses to engage directly with consumers through personalized content, influencer collaborations, electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), and social commerce. This narrative review synthesizes the findings of two recent review studies on the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour to provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms through which digital platforms influence consumer decision-making. The review adopts a qualitative approach based on secondary data and thematic analysis. Major themes identified include social influence, consumer engagement, influencer marketing, algorithm-driven personalization, user-generated content, social identity, fear of missing out (FOMO), targeted advertising, and the emergence of social commerce. The analysis reveals that social media not only serves as a promotional channel but also functions as an interactive environment where consumers actively create, share, and evaluate information before making purchase decisions. Furthermore, personalized recommendations and social proof significantly enhance purchase intention and brand trust, while ethical concerns regarding privacy, algorithmic bias, and excessive consumerism continue to pose challenges. The review concludes that organizations must adopt customer-centric and ethically responsible social media strategies to maintain competitiveness in the digital marketplace. Finally, research gaps and future directions are presented to encourage empirical investigations into evolving digital consumer behaviour.

Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Consumer Buying Behaviour, Digital Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, Social Commerce, Personalization, Consumer Engagement.

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