SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING AND IMPULSE BUYING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN CALABAR: A STUDY OF UNICROSS AND UNICAL STUDENTS

Advertising has been greatly impacted by the social media targeted particularly at younger users on the various platforms. However. little is known specifically about how social media advertisements influence purchasing decisions among these young people in Nigeria. Hence, this study examined the exposure. viewership and influence of social media advertisements on the purchasing decision of young people using undergraduates in UNICAL and UNICROSS. With great increase in technological advancement, effective advertising has become extremely important to be able to have competitive advantage, hence the need for this study. The study adopted the survey research design with questionnaire as primary instrument for data collection. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings from the research, shows that, students of UNICAL and UNICROSS make use of social media for impulse purchases and also shows how these purchases affect the students negatively. It was also discovered that social media has increased impulse buying among students of UNICAL and UNICROSS as well as how students can cope with impulse buying on social media. Many recommendations were made including. how students need to prioritize their purchases in order to cope with affluent of adverts on social media platforms.