IMPACT OF ONLINE CONTENT ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR. A STUDY OF YOUTH’S PURCHASING DECISION IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE.
Abstract
The rapid growth of online content since the 2000s has radicalised modern marketing and
enhanced consumer engagement in Nigeria. The prevalence among youth has continued to attract
scholarly interest. This research investigated different types of online contents, pay
advertisements, influencer reviews, user-generated content, and social media posts, with a view
to examining the extent to which online content influences young adults, determining the online
source with the highest impact and investigating the correlation between youths’ perception of
online content produced by influencers and companies Descriptive design was employed. Social
Learning Theory by Albert Bandura and Uses and Gratification Theory katz, Blumler and
Gurevitch served as the framework. Data were elicited using survey which were administered to
392 respondents at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. and focus group discussion.
Data was subjected to qualitative analysis. Buying decisions were greatly influenced by online
contents. Social media: Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube were major channels for marketing.
Influencer-endorsements, customer review and testimonials were put forward as influential
feedback mechanisms. There were varying levels of awareness toward the persuasive strategies
of embedded digital marketing. The culture of online content marketing should be anchored on
values and lifestyle of young consumers; educational programmes should be put in place to
promote digital literacy and critical evaluation of online marketing.
Keywords: Online content, Consumer behavior, Social media engagement, Influencer
marketing, purchasing decision.
Word Count: 212
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