Influence of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Buying Behavior in Cotabato City

This study investigates the influence of social media marketing on the purchasing behavior of Cotabato State University (CotSU) students, emphasizing the growing impact of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok in shaping consumer decisions. As social media marketing becomes an integral tool for businesses to engage with consumers and build brand loyalty, understanding the varied ways in which consumers respond to ads, content, and endorsements has become increasingly important. A descriptive research design was employed to observe and assess the current influence of social media marketing without altering any variables, aiming to accurately capture how social media exposure shapes students’ buying behavior. The study found that e-word of mouth, with a mean score of 4.37, had a notable impact on students’ purchasing decisions, with recommendations from family, friends, and peers on social media playing a significant role. Online advertisements (mean score of 4.47) also strongly influenced purchasing behavior, with students preferring ads that were engaging, relevant, and well-targeted. Brand image emerged as the most influential factor (mean score of 4.42), followed by brand loyalty (mean score of 4.49), trust (mean score of 4.51), and purchase intention (mean score of 4.51). The study found a moderate correlation of 0.427 between social media marketing activities and consumer buying behavior, suggesting that while social media marketing plays a key role, other factors also contribute to purchasing decisions. Overall, the findings highlight the significant role social media marketing plays in shaping consumer behavior among CotSU students.