Effectiveness of Social Commerce Marketing Among the Millennials in Chennai City

Abstract

            With the rapid growth of social media usage and online shopping in India, social commerce has emerged as a dynamic medium that blends social engagement with digital retailing. The study employs a descriptive research design, relying on primary data collected via a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The survey covered 321 millennial respondents aged between 25 and 40 years residing in Chennai City who actively use social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube for product discovery and online purchasing. A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed, and data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21. The results of the study reveal that influencer credibility, social interaction, and eWOM have a significant positive relationship with millennials’ purchase intention. Furthermore, trust was found to play a crucial mediating role between social commerce marketing activities and millennials’ purchase decisions, indicating that authenticity, reliability, and transparency significantly enhance online buying confidence. The findings highlight that millennials in Chennai are highly influenced by credible influencers, peer recommendations, and engaging social interactions while making online purchase decisions. The study concludes that effective social commerce marketing requires not only creative content and promotions but also the development of trust-based relationships with consumers. 

Keywords:Social Commerce, Influencer Credibility, Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM), Social Interaction, Trust, Millennials, Purchase Intention, Chennai City.

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