Social Media Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Purchase Decision: A Comparative Study of Flipkart and Amazon.

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media and e-commerce has significantly influenced consumer awareness, preferences, and purchase decisions. This study examines the impact of social media marketing on consumer purchase decisions through a comparative study of Amazon and Flipkart. The study focuses on the influence of social media advertisements, customer reviews, ratings, influencer marketing, short videos, product demonstrations, discounts, and attractive offers on consumer buying behaviour. Primary data was collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to understand participants' online shopping behaviour and the factors influencing their choice between Amazon and Flipkart. The findings indicate that social media marketing creates product awareness and purchase interest, while reviews and ratings play an important role in building consumer trust and reducing the risk of poor purchases. Instagram was found to be particularly influential for product discovery and engagement, whereas YouTube supported detailed product evaluation through reviews, demonstrations, and unboxing content. Participants also compared prices, product ratings, delivery time, and return policies before making their final purchase decisions. Overall, the study indicates that engaging, informative, and trustworthy social media content can positively influence consumer purchase intention. Amazon was slightly preferred for reliability, while Flipkart was preferred for attractive offers