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Top1. Introduction
Social media in recent times has created an avenue for decentralized communication channel and opened the door for all to have a voice across the globe. It has provided a platform to participate in a democratic fashion. It is undeniable that social media plays an important role in impacting culture, economy and peoples overall view of the world. It is a new forum that brings society to exchange idea, connect with, relate to, and mobilize for a cause, seek advice, and offer guidance. The global social media users figure has reached to be 3.5 billion1 as of October 2019. With over 460 million internet users, India is the second largest online market, behind China. It is estimated that by 2021, there will be approximately 635.8 million internet users in India2.
As more than one-third of the global population uses social media, both corporate and consumers at the present time by means of social networking sites are desperately trying to make themselves more apparent and effective in the market3. It is estimated that the worldwide digital advertising will expand almost to $517 billion in 2023 from $333.3 billion in 20194. As the sphere of social media keeps on revamping itself with new features, businesses need to progress with the same pace to make themselves more visible in this competitive market. Today the consumers research products and services online before making any purchase. According to ROBO Economy (2018), 82 per cent of smartphone users consult social media about the purchases they are about to make in-store and 45 per cent read reviews before making a purchase5. Hence, social media has made a significant impact on the concept of sell and purchase across the globe. It has not only become a new marketing channel but it has also created a new paradigm for the way in which consumers connect with brands and each other.
In line with the global technological advancements in communication, the Indian economy is also undergoing a paradigm shift in its socioeconomic and cultural structure in recent years. These changes have not only been reflected in the business scenario, but also in the attitude of the people. The country witnessed more independence in the decision-making power of women and also in their improved social and economic status. In fact, the numbers of women entrepreneurs are also increasing significantly in recent times. According to the report of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2017), women in India are nearly one-third more likely to start a business out of necessity than men. It is predicted that under same necessity and proper digital skills, women can do wonders in the business. As a result, the social media usage has been increasing exponentially among women. Indeed, studies revealed that in India women spend significantly more time on social networking sites than men (Sultana and Nayeem, 2015). The awareness of women consumers’ cognizance during recent years also indicates a remarkable shift in the pattern of consumer buying behaviour. Researchers has identified several factors which affect females buying behaviour: need, style, rising income, concern for self, wide variety of products and multiple brands available in the market, among others (Furqan, 2018; Voorveld, et. al, 2018). The messages in different advertisements are also created strongly to attract the women consumers. The most vulnerable group who are more attracted to the message is young women. Thus, this study critically evaluates the role of social media advertisements and factors that shape consumers’ buying behavior. The purpose of this study is to uncover the effects of social media advertisements on young women’s buying behaviour. In order to determine the more prominent reasoning amongst a sample size, the following objectives are being observed: (i) to study the impact of positive reviews on social media advertisements on the buying behaviour of Indian working women; (ii) to examine the impact of income on their purchase behaviour; and (iii) to identify the factors that significantly influence their online purchase.