Digital Social Media Marketing and Online Consumer Purchasing Behavior in Cambodia

This study examines the influence of digital social media marketing on online consumer purchasing behavior in Cambodia. It focuses on how social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp Business, influence consumer awareness, engagement, trust, purchase intention, and actual online purchasing decisions. The study also investigates factors affecting consumer responses to digital marketing, particularly consumer trust, social influence, digital literacy, promotional activities, price sensitivity, online reviews, and platform ease of use. The research uses primary data collected through a structured questionnaire. The study obtained 920 completed responses from consumers across all 24 provinces and Phnom Penh Capital, providing broad national coverage. The questionnaire measures digital social media marketing, consumer response factors, consumer trust, online purchasing behavior, and future purchase intentions using a five-point Likert scale.The study is theoretically grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Consumer Trust Theory. These perspectives help explain how perceived usefulness and ease of use, consumer attitudes and social influence, and trust in sellers and online transactions collectively shape online purchasing behavior. The conceptual framework positions digital social media marketing as the independent variable, online consumer purchasing behavior as the dependent variable, and consumer trust as a mediating variable. The research provides localized evidence on Cambodia's developing digital marketplace and seeks to contribute to academic knowledge while providing practical recommendations for businesses, policymakers, and digital marketing practitioners. The findings are intended to help businesses develop more effective social media marketing strategies, strengthen consumer trust, and improve the conversion of online engagement into actual purchasing behavior.