Examining the Utilization of Social Media for the E-Commerce of Dairy Products Amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in India

Abstract

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are increasingly favoring the use of social media. Sellers, in response, are leveraging various social media platforms to create content for communication and sales. This serves as the most convenient method to connect with new consumers, understand their preferences, and fortify customer relationships. The continuous expansion of social networks is linked to the widespread availability and cost-effectiveness of the internet, which includes social media platforms and Web 2.0 technologies. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of current popular social media sites and social media marketing is imperative for research in this domain. The primary objectives of this study are to comprehend the impact of social media marketing on online consumer purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify social media influence in the context of India during this period. Another aim is to understand the factors influencing social media marketing concerning online purchases, with a comparative analysis based on demography and gender. This research seeks to analyze purchase frequency and expenditure by consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve this, a thorough examination of demographic factors such as city of residence, age, gender, occupation, income, preferred social networking sites, product preferences, frequency of dairy product purchases, expenditure patterns, and influential factors is conducted. Online consumer responses are gathered through a Google Form questionnaire, and statistical methods are employed to study demographic factors and other variables. The continuous expansion of social networks is linked to the widespread availability and cost-effectiveness of the internet, which includes social media platforms and Web 2.0 technologies.