1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
A good quality advertisement is likely to influence consumers into buying that product while a poor quality advertisement will do the opposite. Although social media advertising seems to be a new trend, it has been in practice for a while having started a few decades ago.
Social media have become an effective and convenient tool for advertising and communicating with customers and stakeholders inside their organizations. Social media advertising is well established but the most popular social media vary with user demographics and content shared via such platforms. Hence, advertisements are a critical part of the marketing strategy especially among undergraduate students. The advent of social media in the space of advertising has resulted in more creativity by advertisers to attract the attention of their target audiences. Social media advertising helps business find new customers by using users own shared information to identify interests. Advertisers take advantage of social network sites interactivity as firms regardless of size are present on face book, Instagram and twitter. Rather than reactively targeting users who search a certain term, social media advertising proactively targets relevant users before they even begin their search
Social media platforms, including, wikis, blogs, micro-blogs, vlogs, podcasts and content communities. Advertising on the internet takes a variety of forms. Advertisers are charged various amounts of fee relative to what they advertise and duration of adverts in specific blogs
1.2 Statement of Problem
The social media platform is majorly an avenue for meeting old friends and making new friends, for charting and at times discussing issues. But over the years, the social media was preferred a better medium for advertising products and services with the purpose of motivating social media users in selecting advertised products to other competing products in the market; on the other hand, online users pay less attention to advertising that comes their way online.
Some past studies found that online advertising influence purchasing power of consumers, others found that online advertising influence consumer attitude, but none has touched how online advertising influence the product preference of customers, this is what this study stands to achieve.
1.3 Aim and Objectives Of The Study
The aim of this study was to articulate knowledge on transformative use of social media advertising. To achieve the aim, advertisers’ and university students’ perspectives on the influence of social media advertising on student preferences and consumption of brands were investigated in the study.
- To measure the level of exposure to online video advertisements among undergraduate students in Enugu State University.
- To describe the social media platform through which students patronize products advertised online
- To determine the level of influence of online video advertisements among undergraduate students in Enugu State University
1.4 Research Questions
- What is the level of exposure to online video advertisements among undergraduate students in Enugu State University?
- Though which social media platforms are the undergraduate students exposed to the online advertisement?
- To what extend do the online video advertisements influence the buying decision of the undergraduate students?
1.6 Significance of the Study
The main aim of this research was to find out the attitude and behaviour change in Enugu State University students regarding advertisements on social media through survey using questionnaire as a tool of data collection and stratified random samples.
The findings of the study would be of benefit to: Business operators, Advertisers, Ministry of commerce, the Media, Students, and students of Enugu State University.
The study is of benefit to business operators as it would create awareness of the importance of social media (online) advertising on the sale of their products.
The findings are also a benefit to advertisers as they would have a broader understanding of how internet advertising influences the sale of their goods online and their possible inhabitants. It will also assist them on how to organize training programmes for proprietors of small-scale business. It will unveil ways to better promote their products online with offline rewards.
It is of benefit to students as it provide liable information on various concepts related to online advertising,
Finally, it is significant contribution to the existing body of literature in the discipline.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is hence limited to a selected number of students in Enugu State University into entrepreneurship, advertising their goods through social media platforms.
Online advertising is limited to all forms of advertising on social media platform.
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