A PLS – SEM study to test the role of Social media in influencing Purchase Intention

Abstract

In light of the growing importance of social networking marketing (SMM) to the profitability of tiny and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and the relatively modest adoption rate of SMM among SMEs, this study seeks to determine which factors influence SMEs’ adoption of SMM. This study, unlike the majority of others, proposed a two-stage analysis combining the partial least squares (PLS) method with an artificial intelligence technique called an artificial neural network (ANN). Using a deep ANN architecture, the proposed model can make predictions with a 91% success rate. The marketing rate of social networking site adoption was found to be significantly affected by the strength of the relationship between perceived efficiency, user approval of use, perceived expenses, and encouragement from upper management, beneficial conditions, and vendor pressure. The findings of this study contribute to the expanding body of literature on online advertising by shedding light on the role played by technological, corporate, and ecological (TOE) variables in consumers’ adoption of social media promotional activities. Investment choices in digital marketing in comparable and non-competitive industries can benefit from the study’s findings, which can be used by policymakers as well as managers of SMM and consumer behavior.