Social Media Marketing: Influence on the Consumer Buying Process of Clothing Products in San Jose City

Abstract

Social media, a widely used platform for marketing various
products, has been the focus of this study due to its ability to target
specific audiences. The study aimed to understand how this platform
influences consumer buying behavior for clothing products in the local
market of San Jose City. This context is particularly relevant to our
audience and deeply connected to the local community. The
respondents, customers who frequently buy clothes on different online
platforms, were randomly selected. Data were collected through a
Likert-scale survey questionnaire, a robust and widely accepted research
method that ensures the reliability of our findings. The findings suggest
that most respondents were 25 years old and considered young adults;
the study also shows that the number of female respondents was more
remarkable than males, and being single was their predominant status.
Moreover, the study's findings reveal that Facebook is the most
appealing and convenient social media platform the respondents use. For
problem recognition, consumers commonly set spending limits for
specific expense categories (like entertainment) and monitor how much
they spend with those limits. Budgets can only sometimes predict
chances for consumption; therefore, people can allot too much or too
little money for a specific category. As a result, they either consume too
much or too little of such products. Consumers mostly rely on feedback
and reviews when purchasing clothing in information searches. Social
media marketing was highly correlated to the respondents' buying
process. The result also implies that when buying clothing products
online, consumers are mainly influenced by social media marketing
while evaluating the alternative stage. Furthermore, the study implied
that social media marketing influenced clothing consumers' buying
process. It revealed a highly significant correlation, which has practical
implications for marketing professionals and educators in understanding
and leveraging consumer behavior in the local market.