The Influence of Social Media on Consumers’ Purchase Decisions: Evidence from Electronic Products in Bangladesh

Social media has emerged as a major global influence on consumer behavior in recent years. User-generated, interactive content is made possible by platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and it has a big impact on opinions and buying decisions. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine the influence of social media (online reviews, social media influencers, eWOM, advertisements, social media usage laws, and information) on consumers’ purchase decisions of electronic products. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social influence theory, a quantitative approach was used, with data collected via a structured questionnaire from 150 respondents over four weeks. Analysis was conducted using SPSS 30. SPSS analysis demonstrated that social media usage laws and social media influencers had a strong positive correlation with consumers’ purchase decisions, highlighting their pivotal role in shaping preferences and disseminating information. Reliable and accessible product information also emerged as a significant predictor of consumer choices. In contrast, online reviews, eWOM, and advertisements exhibited minimal influence within this context or might have adverse influence. This article provides guidelines for electronic products to prioritize social media strategies, invest in high-quality information dissemination, and leverage influencer partnerships to effectively engage consumers and drive sales.