An Empirical Study on the Impact of Social Media Advertising on Consumer Buying Behavior

The proliferation of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed contemporary marketing practices and consumer decision-making processes. Social media advertising, encompassing influencer marketing, video advertisements, image-based promotions, and sponsored posts, has become a dominant promotional strategy in the digital marketplace. This study empirically examines the impact of social media advertising on consumer buying behavior, with specific emphasis on identifying the most influential advertisement formats. A descriptive and analytical research design was adopted. Primary data were collected from 107 respondents through a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms. Percentage analysis and chi-square testing were employed to analyze the data and examine statistical associations. The findings indicate that social media advertising significantly influences consumer purchase decisions, with influencer marketing and short-form video advertisements emerging as the most impactful formats. The chi-square test confirms a statistically significant association between advertisement type and consumer buying behavior. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital marketing effectiveness and offers practical implications for marketers seeking to optimize social media advertising strategies in increasingly competitive digital environments.