Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Buying Process- A Study on Nykaa

This study critically examines the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior with specific reference to Nykaa, a leading digital-first beauty platform in India. In recent years, the rapid expansion of social media has transformed the way consumers interact with brands, shifting traditional marketing paradigms toward highly interactive and engagement-driven models. The research integrates established theoretical frameworks, including the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM), to analyze how digital content, influencer marketing, and online reviews shape consumer decision-making. A structured analytical approach is adopted to evaluate the relationship between social media engagement and purchase intention. The findings indicate that influencer credibility, perceived trust, and content quality significantly enhance consumer purchase intention, while skepticism toward promotional content negatively affects adoption. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in digital marketing by providing a comprehensive understanding of how social media platforms influence modern consumer behavior.