IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON BUYERS’ INTENTION – AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

Popularity of social media in India is increasing day by day. Consumers are making connections through different social media and posting comments, recommendations and suggestions which other customers can use. Even the companies are using it as platform to communicate to customers by posting related information. Sellers have strategically integrated social media tools to their existing communication repertoires to build and maintain relationships with customers. Now firms need to focus on social media to develop trust building mechanisms and affect the intentions of the consumers. In this context the present paper is an attempt made to identify those factors which establish trust and social commerce intentions though social networking sites in India. A sample of 250 social media users who regularly read information online were chosen and a prestructured questionnaire as administered them to know the social media factors that establish trust and intention to buy. The results of the study imply that trust and perceived usefulness are the key for the success in e-commerce and social networking sites.