A Study on the Influence of Digital Marketing Tools on Consumer Engagement and Purchase Behaviour

Author

R. Sai Sumanth, Dr. K. Krishna Rao

Abstract

 Digital marketing has become an important way for businesses to reach customers, build relationships with them, and influence their purchasing decisions. This study aims to understand how four major digital marketing tools—social media marketing, email and SMS marketing, search advertising and search engine optimization (SEO), and influencer marketing—affect consumer engagement and purchase behaviour.

The study collected primary data from 200 respondents through a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. The collected data were analysed using Microsoft Excel with statistical techniques such as the chi-square test of independence, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression.

The results of the chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between consumers' preferred digital marketing tools and their purchase decisions (χ² = 19.34, df = 3, p < 0.001). A significant association was also found between gender and purchase decisions (χ² = 5.79, df = 1, p = 0.016). The one-way ANOVA results showed that consumer engagement differed significantly across the digital marketing tool groups (F = 10.56, p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference in purchase behaviour was observed among different age groups (F = 1.86, p = 0.137).

The regression analysis further indicated that consumer engagement was the strongest predictor of purchase behaviour, with a standardized beta coefficient of 0.55 (p < 0.001). The five predictors included in the regression model jointly explained 33.2% of the variation in purchase behaviour.

Overall, the findings suggest that digital marketing tools may influence consumers' buying decisions by encouraging greater engagement with brands. Therefore, businesses should focus not only on promoting their products through digital platforms but also on creating meaningful interactions and positive customer experiences. The study also highlights opportunities for future research to examine additional factors that may influence consumer engagement and purchasing decisions.

Keywords

Digital marketing tools, consumer engagement, purchase behaviour, social media marketing, influencer marketing, chi-square test, ANOVA, linear regression.

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