Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Buying Behaviour (With Reference to Online Entertainment Platforms)

An alteration in the economy has occurred both at the micro and macro levels as a result of the coronavirus disease occurring at such an alarming pace and pushing the economy to a new normal. Since then, customers' buying behaviour, attitudes, tastes, and decision-making processes have altered. The devastating effects of the Corona Virus epidemic were also felt by online entertainment platforms. Social media marketing activities also influence the behaviour of consumers towards online entertainment platforms. As Traditional media channels have been challenged by the emergence of OTT platforms, which puts pressure on cable and satellite television networks' dominance. Consumers are cutting the cord and switching from traditional TV subscriptions to streaming services as a result of this transition. Traditional broadcasters and pay-tv providers have thus had to modify their methods in order to remain competitive, either by starting their own OTT platforms or collaborating with already-existing ones. By giving customers more convenience, choice, and control over their media consumption, OTT platforms have revolutionised the entertainment sector. Their disruptive impact on conventional media platforms is clear, changing consumer behaviour and forcing established firms to react. Further investigation is required as the OTT environment develops in order to examine new patterns, regulatory outcomes, monetization techniques, and the long-term effects on the entertainment industry. This research aims to analyse the impact of social media marketing on consumer preferences towards online entertainment platforms in India. It also seeks to identify the factors influencing customer behaviour towards these platforms and study the perception of Jaipur's consumers towards subscription-based services for entertainment. Additionally, the research investigates how social media affects consumer decision-making processes when selecting and engaging with online entertainment platforms.


INTRODUCTION
Social media's arrival has sparked a digital revolution that has altered consumer behaviour, the way people communicate, and how information is shared.Platforms for social media have become potent channels that enable virtual interactions between people, groups, and organisations on a worldwide level.Social media has had a nothing short of revolutionary effect on consumer behaviour within this dynamic environment, especially with regard to the use of Online entertainment platforms .Online entertainment platforms like Over-The-Top (OTT) services have seen a dramatic change in consumer behaviour in recent years.With on-demand access to a sizable collection of films, TV series, music, and more, the rise of digital content streaming has offered customers unprecedented control over their media consumption.As a result, consumers have embraced personalised viewing experiences, adopted the binge-watching culture, and used advanced algorithms to select content.With particular reference to OTT services, the purpose of this research study is to examine the major influence that social media marketing has on customer purchasing decisions.This study aims to uncover the fundamental mechanisms that underlie consumer preferences, content discovery, engagement, and eventually purchase behaviour within the OTT business by examining the interaction between social media marketing techniques and consumer decision-making processes.The entertainment sector has undergone a change because to the rise of over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Jio cinema, Disney+ hotstar, and others that provide ondemand video content that goes beyond traditional broadcasting and cable services.The rise in popularity of social media platforms has played a significant role in this change in media consumption habits.
Businesses have seen the enormous potential of utilising social media platforms to increase brand recognition, interact with their audience directly, and build meaningful relationships as these platforms continue to rule consumers' online experiences.Social media marketing strategies have become effective tools for grabbing consumers' attention and influencing their decisions regarding the consumption and subscriptions of OTT content.These strategies include influencer partnerships, personalised advertisements, user-generated content, real-time interactions, and community engagement.Through a comprehensive analysis of empirical data, case studies, and relevant literature, this research paper aims to provide valuable insights for businesses and marketers operating within the competitive landscape of OTT services.Understanding the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior is crucial for these enterprises to develop targeted marketing strategies, optimize content offerings, and foster brand loyalty in an increasingly connected and digital-centric world.
Understanding how social media marketing and customer behaviour interact is essential for companies looking to succeed in this constantly changing environment, where the OTT industry is seeing exponential development.This research paper aims to provide industry stakeholders with useful knowledge to develop compelling marketing campaigns, deliver personalised content, and forge long-lasting connections with consumers by shedding light on the dynamic relationship between social media marketing and consumer buying behaviour in the context of OTT platforms.In the end, this study's findings hope to support the OTT industry's ongoing development and growth, which is fueled by the profound influence of social media marketing on consumer behaviour.REVIEW OF LITERATURE Wakad, P., & Bihade, V. (2023) in their research study discussed that is predicted that traditional TV systems will be replaced by OTT platforms owing to substantial investments in these platforms.Indian customers are increasingly exposed to the pricing policies of OTT platforms.These platforms are constantly exploring ways to offer more captivating and exclusive content.OTT devices and platforms are being developed to cater to new and niche audiences, thereby generating an abundance of video content for the new generation of viewers.
Haudi, H., Handayani, W., Musnaini, M., Suyoto, Y., Prasetio, T., Pitaloka, E., & Cahyon, Y. (2022) in their study examined how social media marketing initiatives affected brand equity, brand trust, and brand loyalty in the context of social media.After extensive research and testing, it was shown that social media marketing had a favourable impact on brand equity, brand loyalty, and brand trust.The study also found that brand equity and brand trust both positively affect the performance of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).Finally, it was discovered that brand loyalty improved the performance of SMEs as a whole.These results highlight the role social media marketing has in improving customer perceptions and supporting SMEs' commercial success.

Parihar, S., & Kant, M. K. (2021)
in their research study they discovered that the way we work and consume material has undergone a fundamental transformation as a result of digitalization.Demand for OTT platforms has increased as a result of the pandemic crisis.More and more people are using the Internet for shopping, learning, entertainment, and general information.The survey examined customer satisfaction levels and found that OTT platforms like Amazon, Netflix, Hotstar, Voot, and Sonyliv had gained enormous popularity among not just young people but also housewives, working professionals, businesspeople, and kids.People are drawn to the content that these platforms give in an irresistible way, which increases demand and supports their rising popularity.

Yadav, M. A. M. T. A., & Srivastava, D. M. K. (2020)
in their research study , they explored the many entertainment media alternatives that are offered to consumers as well as the evolving trends in this sector.The entertainment and media sector has been determined to have effectively changed to suit the changing demands and wishes of consumers thanks to the rise in consumer spending power, the acceptance of the internet on a large scale, technological improvements, and the availability of inexpensive data.

Singh, P. (2019) reported that
The rise of new internet platforms is transforming Indian television and film, and the younger population is increasingly turning to these sites to view videos.Some well-known examples of websites that provide films and other video material online are Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Zee5, ALT Balaji, and Jio TV.These platforms reflect a cutting-edge fusion of television and film, giving audiences the best of both worlds.It was observed that Indian audience are not willing to pay money to watch the content on these OTT platforms but they also want to watch their favourite web shows/movies daily.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Understanding how social media affects consumer behaviour is the issue at hand, especially in the context of online entertainment platforms.It is vital to look at how social media platforms affect customers' tastes, decisions, and interaction with online entertainment content given and how widespread they are in today's digital ecosystem.In order to better understand how social media affects brand loyalty and consumer happiness, this study will look at how social media affects information distribution, user engagement, influencer marketing, advertising efficacy, and recommendation algorithms.Understanding this dynamic link will help marketers and platform developers create strategies that will better meet customers' changing entertainment requirements and improve their experience as a whole on online entertainment platforms.

OBJECTIVES
• To investigate factors shaping user choices, the impact of advertising, and demographics in online entertainment consumption.• To examine how original content influences user decisions, satisfaction, and engagement on these platforms.• To analyse how social media affects user recommendations, considering user-generated content and satisfaction levels.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Method :
The research method descriptive research has been applied.Data was collected via a questionnaire created using a Google Form and the opinions of specific responders.A five-point Likert scale questionnaire with a systematic design was separately produced.Responses were acquired using a convenience sampling strategy in the area Jaipur.
Research Design : Descriptive research design has been used .Sample Size : For the qualitative study, a sample of 127 responses was used.Sampling Technique : A Non-probability sampling technique namely, convenience sampling is used with a purpose to study the impact of social media marketing on consumer behaviour towards online entertainment platforms.

Collection of data :
In this study data for the study was gathered from both primary and secondary sources.Primary data was obtained using a self-structured questionnaire, while secondary data was collected through an extensive review of literature from e-journals, articles, magazines, newspapers, and internet websites, among others.Tools used for Analysis: For qualitative data analysis involved content and frequency analysis techniques, along with graphical representations of the data.NOTE : In our methodology, it is important to note that we exclusively employed qualitative data analysis techniques, specifically content analysis and frequency analysis.We did not incorporate any statistical tools or hypothesis testing in our approach.Instead, our focus was on the in-depth examination and interpretation of the qualitative data at hand.Our analysis primarily involved the extraction of meaningful information from textual or visual sources, identifying patterns, themes, and frequencies, and representing these findings through graphical representations.This approach allowed us to gain insights and a deeper understanding of the qualitative aspects of the data, without delving into statistical inference or hypothesis testing.

Figure no . 4 :Annual Income
Interpretation :Out of 127 respondents , 54 .3% of the respondents's annual income are less than 1,00,000, 10.2 % of the respondents annual between 3,00,000 to 6,00,000 and followed by other group of annual income .

Objective 1: Level of Awareness and Frequency Figure no. 6 : Sources of awarenes of online entertainment platforms
Intepretation : As per the respondents, Instagram(78.4%)as a social media application is the most widely used amongst all other application followed by youtube ,facebook , snapchat and others (fig.6).Interpretation: According to most of the respondents, Netflix (55.6%) is the most widely used online entertainment platform for viewing video content followed by hotstar(53.2%), amazon prime video(51.6%) , jio(31.7%) and others.Interpretation : As per the above data, it was seen that 55% of the respondents have currently subscribed to multiple online entertainment platforms followed by 38% people who do not have current subscription.During the Covid-19 pandemic, the entertainment sector underwent a significant transformation, shifting from traditional modes of entertainment to online platforms and embracing a blended entertainment ecosystem.The Indian entertainment industry was in dire need of a substantial overhaul, which became feasible through a considerable economic impetus.The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for the entertainment sector, compelling it to leverage its resources and operate at peak capacity.

Figure no.7 : Level of usage of social media
As awareness among consumers increased, a growing number of individuals turned to online entertainment platforms, seeking diverse and engaging content to meet their entertainment needs.
To conclude level of awareness and usage of social media, with Instagram as the top choice.Respondents also engage frequently, notably encountering ads on YouTube.Netflix emerges as the preferred online entertainment platform, indicating significant user recognition.
Primary reasons influencing consumer behaviour is due to the accessibility of a wide variety of content, the ease of binge-watching, and the demand for less commercials, consumers are largely drawn to online entertainment platforms.Furthermore, it is clear how important it is to have access to original content, and how tailored content can affect consumer behavior in the current digital entertainment environment.
Nowadays, there is an increasing trend of OTT platform in India as more an more people are getting inclined towards them.Therefore, Amazon Prime, Disney hotstar and Jio cinema are also gaining more Popularity.People usually use these platforms for a significant time.Moreover, social media applications such as Instagram Facebook and YouTube respectively highly impact the behaviour of consumers towards these platforms.Hence, it can be rightly concluded that social media plays a crucial role in shaping the decisions of consumers to engage with online entertainment platforms.

SUGGESTIONS
• Content Impact on Minors: Assess the influence of content promoted via social media marketing on individuals below 18, analyzing how it shapes their behavior and preferences, particularly in regard to inappropriate material exposure.• Strengthening Safety Measures: Improve content regulation through age verification tools and moderation techniques on OTT platforms.Foster collaboration between businesses and policymakers to develop more effective social media marketing strategies that ensure a secure and age-appropriate online entertainment environment for children.• Parents' Role: Parents can actively engage in educating themselves about online content, utilizing parental controls, and having open conversations with their children about responsible online behavior and the potential risks of inappropriate content.• Government Regulations: Governments can enact and enforce regulations that require social media platforms and content creators to adhere to strict guidelines for age-appropriate content, ensuring the safety and well-being of minors online.

Figure
Figure no .5 : Qualification : As per fig.7, it can be clearly stated that people usually social media platforms multiple times (77% ) a day and very few use it once or twice .

Figure no. 8 :
Figure no.8 : Level of frequency of advertisement or promotional campaign on social media

Figure no . 9 :
Figure no .9: Usage of OTT platforms for video content

Figure no 10
Figure no 10 .: Subscription based on social media content

Table No . 1 -Demographic Variable-Gender Figure no .1: Gender 127 Responses INTERPRETATION
: Out of total 127 respondents , 43 % of the respondents are male and remaining 57% were females .

Objective 2: Primary reasons influencing consumer behaviour Figure no. 11 : Reasons affecting cosnumer behaviour Interpretation
As per the respondents, 32.8 % of the people agree that availability of original content is very important as it influences their decisions towards online entertainment platforms and 29.6 % of the people agree that it is important .Objective : As per figure11, the primary reasons affecting consumer behaviour towards online entertainment platforms are greater content variety and diversity71 % , ability to binge watch 40 % ,limted ads.32.8% Personalised content 29.6%and others respectively .Figure no .12: Influence of orginal content on decision making

3: level of recommendations and satisfaction. Figure no. 13 : Level of impact of social media on consumers recommendation Interpretation :
According to most of the respondents, it can be clearly stated that there is an impact of social media on consumers behaviour of recommendation as 43.1 % of the people strongly to that and 38.2% agree to it .

Figure no.14 : Monthly expenditure towards buying online entertainment platforms Interpretation :
According to the above graph, it can be seen that majority of the people(55.7%)spend less than 500 rupees per month on OTT platforms and 29.5 % of the peoplw spend between 500 to 1000 on OTT subscription .It can be clear;y stated that 50.4 % respondents were satisfied with the kind of onli ne entertainment platforms that they use and 24.4 % of the people are very satisfied with it.