Abstract

Despite the growing usage of social media, little evidence exists of academic research which explores the potential of social media as a marketing and communication tool by South African marketers. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study which examined the influence of social media on the purchasing behaviour of youth, by surveying a convenience sample of 150 students at a large university in South Africa. It became evident that the respondents (youths) are fairly computer literate and thus have access to social media platforms, which invariably increases their potential as customers. These youth are also increasingly turning away from traditional advertising media and actively seeking out social media platforms, and make frequent purchases using information obtained from social media platforms because they regard it as being sufficient for decision-making, reliable, convenient, and results in less time wastage. The findings could be considered by marketers targeting the youth market when developing their marketing and communication strategies.

Key words: Social media, youth market, consumer behaviour, social media browsing, marketing communication.