Social media as a tool for digital communication: study on its impact on consumer behavior

Abstract

This study addressed the growing phenomenon of social media as consumer-oriented digital communication tools, focusing the research problem on how social media marketing strategies affect consumer perception and behavior. The overall objective was to develop theoretical contributions for the effective implementation of social media marketing, with a particular focus on optimizing digital communication aimed at consumers. A descriptive quantitative methodology was employed, using a sample of 383 digital consumers from the province of Tungurahua Ecuador. with a validated instrument composed of 29 items with a global Cronbach's alpha of 0.979. The results of the study indicated that elements such as quality, credibility, and usefulness of information have a significant impact on consumer perception and decisions. Specifically, it was found that 80% of participants positively valued these dimensions in their interaction with digital marketing content. In addition, it was observed that these characteristics contribute to an increase in consumer trust and participation. The study confirmed that a well-founded and theoretically informed social media marketing strategy can profoundly influence the dynamics of consumer interaction and purchase decision.