Influences of Social Media Marketing Tools Towards Online Purchases: Nuances from Undergraduate Students in Nigeria Public Universities

Abstract

The study investigates the influence of social media (SM) marketing tools on online purchases (OP) of undergraduates in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The qualitative multi-methods (focus groups and secondary data) were employed for data collection and the study involved 17 respondents from undergraduate studies in selected public universities in Nigeria. The researchers’ employed thematic and content analysis techniques with the use of NVivo 12 software for critical and rigorous analysis. Among the findings are that undergraduate students from selected public Universities in Port Harcourt spend much time on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube than other SM platforms; seven themes emerged as basic frameworks that could be leveraged by online businesses in order to enhance positive OP behaviour. The study contributes to technology adoption model.