Effect of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention Among Consumers in Western Uttar Pradesh: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66635/cjpd6777Keywords:
social media marketing, purchase intention, brand trust, small-scale businesses, Western Uttar Pradesh, consumer behavior, Instagram, WhatsAppAbstract
The rapid expansion of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products, particularly from small-scale businesses operating through Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. In regional markets such as Western Uttar Pradesh, India, consumers increasingly encounter and transact with small businesses — home-based sellers, boutiques, drop shipping businesses, and local food enterprises — through social media rather than through physical storefronts. Despite growing practical relevance, the mechanisms through which social media marketing influences consumer purchase intention in such regional contexts remain underexplored. This study examines the effect of social media marketing on purchase intention among consumers in Western Uttar Pradesh, with brand trust as a mediating variable. Primary data were collected from 204 consumers through a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms. The study employs descriptive analysis, reliability testing, Pearson correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression-based mediation analysis. Findings confirm that social media marketing has a significant positive effect on both brand trust (β = 0.708, R² = 0.544) and purchase intention (β = 0.869, R² = 0.485). Brand trust significantly mediates the relationship between social media marketing and purchase intention, indicating that social media builds consumer confidence, which in turn drives purchase decisions. The study also finds that active and consistent social media presence and quick responsiveness to customer messages are the strongest trust-building signals, while first-time buyer hesitation related to product quality concerns remains the primary trust barrier. Implications are discussed for small-scale businesses, marketing practitioners, and digital marketing policy in regional Indian markets.
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