Motivating Factors for Social Media Shopping Among Students: A Case Study of the Ghana Institute of Journalism Graduate School

Abstract

The introduction of e-learning platforms in schools has assisted students to experience a state of cognitive absorption, where they are exposed to other technological advances such as social media. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the motivating factors for social media shopping among students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism Graduate School. This was achieved by first identifying the factors that motivate students to engage in social media shopping; second, the role of social media in changing buying behaviour and lastly, the challenges consumers encounter. The study used quantitative approach with a descriptive research design employing tables, frequency, and charts to depict the relevant data. 153 students of the Ghana Institute of Journalism Graduate School were selected for the study. The study used online questionnaires for data collection and these data were analyzed with Microsoft excel and SPSS. The findings of the study showed that WhatsApp is the most popular social media platform used for online shopping. Also, confidentiality and privacy as compared to other factors are able to motivate customers to buy products online. Again, advertisement on social media platforms factored in consumer buying behaviour. The chief challenge encountered when using social media is distractions from hackers. The study recommends that sellers should improve upon the utilization of adverts on various social media platforms with emphasis on WhatsApp. The study again recommends that both owners of social media sites and sellers should improve on privacy.