With an estimated one million members, the social media websites have become a platform for companies and consumers to interact with each other in a lucid manner. The impact of media on consumer behavior has been massive, and this is one of the main reasons why business houses are using to market their products extensively.
The advent of social networks has opened a new marketing avenue for businesses. The publicity of the traditional “face-to-mouth” has been replaced by the “mouth-to-web ‘, as consumers are increasingly referring to the sites of social media before making a purchase, influencing heavily on the buying behavior. Although most companies these days have an official website has complete information about their products, consumers tend to relate to a company after reading reviews and comments from existing customers. Before buying a product, every consumer wants to make sure the product is the best in its class, offering good value for money. Advertising does not always give a good idea, because every company claims the supremacy of their product. This is where social media plays an important role in the definition of consumer behavior. People who have used the product describe their experience – their strengths, weaknesses, etc, and this helps in the dissemination of information. People are more likely to trust those who give an impartial account a product instead of a celebrity being paid to endorse the product. Social media allows people from around the world to form a community of consumers, giving them the power to harm or advertisement of a company.
Social influences on the buying behavior of consumers
Several industry bigwigs have conducted research and surveys to determine the impact of media on consumer behavior, and found that consumers would like to have an interactive relationship with a company, so can easily pass on comments, suggestions and complaints. Given the nature of social media,