SOCIAL MEDIA AND STUDENTS' PATRONAGE OF HANDSETS IN BAYELSA STATE.

This study has examined the influence of social media on students’ patronage of handsets in Bayelsa state. The study adopted Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as the dimensions of social media (independent variable) and adopted repeat purchases as the measure of students’ patronage (dependent variable). The study was anchored on the diffusion of innovation theory, technological determinism theory, and technology acceptance model (TAM). The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of all students in Bayelsa state while the size consisted of 150 students in Bayelsa state. The sample size was determined by Freund and Williams’ Formula. Primary data were used while a structured questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to test the hypotheses formulated at a 5% level of significance. The result of the study shows that the three independent variables have a positive and significant relationship with students’ repeat purchase of handsets in Bayelsa state. The study concluded that social media has contributed positively and significantly to students’ patronage of handsets in Bayelsa State. The study recommends that Handset producers and dealers should take advantage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to design and implement their marketing strategies to effectively reach and persuade consumer patronage behavior in favor of their products and services.