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AbstractSocial media impacts in the business world are quite visible ranging from development of software like Sales Force CRM to Google analytics among others to new careers like digital marketing and influencing. It is clear the roles Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and Whatsapp have had on boosting business sales due to the ever-growing number of users daily. But how do these online platforms influence the consumer's choices? This paper seeks to determine how the use of social and digital media in marketing influences the behavior of people who sell and buy products online. Another important aspect that is discussed is how safety is guaranteed as the customer uses the online channels in their general shopping experience. The study sample was 200 university students selected through purposive sampling method. Aspects of both quantitative and qualitative research have been adopted to get the results of the study which are also interpreted to explain the final findings. Majority of the digital consumers expressed their major determinant buying factor for products marketed online as familiarity with the source of information. Digital media marketing is mainly viewed as a referencing point in purchase decisions. Regarding the safety of the users, the study found that before making any purchases, consumers seek assurance of the credibility of the products through word of mouth, blogs, reviews, pop-ups and online check out procedures attached to the purchase link.

Key words: Digital Consumer, Social Media, Digital Media, Security, and Marketing.

Table of Contents

TOC \o "1-3" \h \u HYPERLINK \l _Toc25264 Abstract PAGEREF _Toc25264 3

HYPERLINK \l _Toc21282 1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc21282 6

HYPERLINK \l _Toc26314 1.1 Background Information PAGEREF _Toc26314 6

HYPERLINK \l _Toc7177 1.2. Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc7177 7

HYPERLINK \l _Toc3609 1.2.1. Research Question PAGEREF _Toc3609 7

HYPERLINK \l _Toc6957 1.2.2. Research Objectives PAGEREF _Toc6957 8

HYPERLINK \l _Toc16403 1.3. Scope of the Study PAGEREF _Toc16403 8

HYPERLINK \l _Toc19245 2. Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc19245 10

HYPERLINK \l _Toc25070 2.1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc25070 10

HYPERLINK \l _Toc17708 2.2.Online Marketing and Consumer Choices PAGEREF _Toc17708 10

HYPERLINK \l _Toc30179 2.3. Factors that Influence Online Purchase Decisions PAGEREF _Toc30179 14

HYPERLINK \l _Toc8600 3. Research Methodology PAGEREF _Toc8600 19

HYPERLINK \l _Toc15705 3.1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc15705 19

HYPERLINK \l _Toc17453 3.2. Research Approach PAGEREF _Toc17453 19

HYPERLINK \l _Toc15710 3.3. Research Instruments PAGEREF _Toc15710 20

HYPERLINK \l _Toc5363 3.4. Sampling PAGEREF _Toc5363 20

HYPERLINK \l _Toc16428 3.5. Data Collection Methods PAGEREF _Toc16428 20

HYPERLINK \l _Toc30282 3.6. Research Analysis PAGEREF _Toc30282 21

HYPERLINK \l _Toc901 3.6.1. Thematic Analysis PAGEREF _Toc901 21

HYPERLINK \l _Toc2116 3.6.2. Strengths of Thematic Analysis PAGEREF _Toc2116 21

HYPERLINK \l _Toc804 3.6.3. Limitations of Thematic Analysis PAGEREF _Toc804 22

HYPERLINK \l _Toc3034 3.6.4. Strengths of the Methodology PAGEREF _Toc3034 22

HYPERLINK \l _Toc1953 3.6.5. Limitations of the Methodology PAGEREF _Toc1953 22

HYPERLINK \l _Toc3266 3.7. Ethical Considerations PAGEREF _Toc3266 23

HYPERLINK \l _Toc9584 3.8. Research Reliability and Validity PAGEREF _Toc9584 23

HYPERLINK \l _Toc28393 4. Discussion and Findings PAGEREF _Toc28393 25

HYPERLINK \l _Toc29925 4.1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc29925 25

HYPERLINK \l _Toc9448 4.2. Categorizing the Themes PAGEREF _Toc9448 25

HYPERLINK \l _Toc21357 5. Conclusion and Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc21357 32

HYPERLINK \l _Toc16102 5.1. Introduction PAGEREF _Toc16102 32

HYPERLINK \l _Toc16207 5.2. Evaluating the Findings PAGEREF _Toc16207 32

HYPERLINK \l _Toc15816 5.3. Application of the Research Objectives on the Research Data PAGEREF _Toc15816 33

HYPERLINK \l _Toc10932 5.4. Disadvantages of Social and Digital media as Marketing Tools PAGEREF _Toc10932 34

HYPERLINK \l _Toc13468 5.5. Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc13468 35

HYPERLINK \l _Toc18383 5.6. Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc18383 36

HYPERLINK \l _Toc21154 5.7. Areas for Further Research PAGEREF _Toc21154 37

HYPERLINK \l _Toc8022 References PAGEREF _Toc8022 38

Introduction1.1 Background InformationBillions of people use social media and other digital communication technologies such as

mobile apps and the internet daily. These technologies are rapidly making the internet a new

convergence platform for all the stakeholders in the supply chain, from suppliers of raw

materials to consumers. Consequently, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp

as well as digital media like YouTube have become important tools for users shopping for

different products. At the same time, marketers use social and digital media to promote their

products by persuading their target audiences to take action.

While many studies have been conducted on the subject of social/digital media marketing and consumer behaviour, little focus has been given to the digital consumer segment in particular. Besides, it is a known fact that information from various internet media is crucial in influencing consumer decision making. However, the magnitude and direction of this influence

remain under-researched. Therefore, this study seeks to fill these research gaps by identifying the impacts of these platforms on the digital consumer community. The study also looks at the

important yet often the under-explored theme of safety of digital consumers while interacting

with and responding to social and digital media promotions.

Digital consumer behaviour is an important business concern in the whole world today

because of the increasing usage of technology in marketing. This trend can be attributed to the

more cost-effective and interactive nature of internet marketing compared to the traditional

marketing methods such as using product executives.

This paper will contain several references from journals, books and online sites in a bid to create extensive information on the subject. Statistics on trends in customer behaviour will be retrieved from online publications from different social and digital sites.

1.2. Problem StatementToday, digital and social media is a reflection of the day to day consumer life. Every day the number of social media users interacting across all platforms keeps rising with an estimate of millions of users at a time. The interconnection of communication that brings out the world as a global village has created a space to conduct business activities across the globe without the need for a physical shop. Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook take up the largest portions for sites used to carry out these businesses. Through social media, businesses can run campaigns, interact with their clients, and sell their product and services. Research has been conducted in line with online marketing as a strategy to boost sales. None has however clearly outlined a connection between e-marketing, consumer privacy and their role in influencing a buyer's choice of product. Understanding the impact of electronic marketing and online security on the shopper's final choice is a factor that cannot be undermined. It will come a long way in creating room for clear market strategies to be laid down and change the whole idea of how online marketing can be used to increase conversions.

1.2.1. Research QuestionHow does social and digital media marketing impact, digital consumers?

How does online security influence consumer behaviour?

1.2.2. Research ObjectivesTo determine how social and digital media marketing impacts consumer culture in general.

To identify the social and digital media marketing impacts on digital consumer's behaviour.

To determine how online security influences consumer behaviour.

1.3. Scope of the StudyThis study is focused on shedding more information to business owners, digital marketers and internet security professionals. Business owners will have an idea on the driving factors that make consumers want to buy their products in comparison to similar ones in the market. It will focus on the patterns of data obtained from different digital sites publications. The crucial information for the digital marketers and influencers will also majorly lie on purchase trends and analysis of the data obtained at the end of the paper. Internet security professionals play a key role in building the customer's trust in the digital systems, and this will mainly be focused in line with payment as one of the factors influencing purchase trends. The major challenge associated with undertaking this paper is legal rights to access data information from the social media sites in order to analytically write the paper. When all these factors are taken into account, it will create a pathway to come up with solutions to the impact of e-market on digital consumer purchase course.

Literature Review2.1. IntroductionThis chapter reviews previous research that has been conducted in the selected area of study. It contains some of the related theories in this field, and recent studies that have been carried out in relation to the same.

2.2.Online Marketing and Consumer Choices

Online/virtual media marketing can be explained as the advertising of products and services over the internet. As witnessed in modern times, the reputation of public networking channels and social sites has amplified at a global scale (Kucuk and Krishnamurthy 2007). For instance, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are alleged to have over billion users since their inception in the early 21st century. These networks are gradually attracting a larger allocate of users online time frame. Consumers are also taking up diverse digital forms of communication, such as Youtube, Blogs and many more to distribute information regarding products or services and also to connect to additional clients who may be viewed as potential buyers and also information font (Kozinet 2002). These exceptional features of social networking and its massive subscriptions have changed selling activities such as promotions and advertising (Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden 2011). Similarly, Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) affirm the many strengths witnessed by the use of virtual media for marketing purposes has helped in linking businesses to their customers hence developing interaction, and further those connections in a suitable manner at minimum expenses. Digital media sites provide opportunities for brands to bond and interface together with their prospective and existing customers, which has helped in fostering excellent client affiliation which has also lead to the creation of strong relationships with the consumers (Mersey, Malthouse and Calder 2010). Especially in the current business circumstance where an end user's constancy can disappear with the slightest error that can furthermore comprise on the online dissemination of their bad experience with particular brands, services, organization or products.

Jose (2017) argues that technology is moving so fast that the consumer has a very hard time to keep up with it. Today consumers have multiple choices which leave them racing behind the ever-increasing internet information. Businesses contribute to this information overload by providing diverse prices experiences, making the decision to purchase hard and slow. However, many businesses are ignorant of this negative outcome because their intention i...