INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL MARKETING ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FOR RETAIL PRODUCTS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of digital marketing on consumer behaviour for retail products in Adamawa State, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted. The study had two objectives, two research questions, and two hypotheses, with a sample size of 400 respondents drawn from three local government areas (Yola North, Mubi North, and Ganye) representing the three senatorial zones of Adamawa State. A structured questionnaire comprising three constructs social media marketing (7 items), mobile marketing (7 items), and consumer behaviour (7 items) was used for data collection on a 5-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by three experts, and a pilot test yielded Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.77, 0.74, and 0.79 for the three constructs respectively. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation for research questions, while simple linear regression was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that social media marketing had a grand mean of 3.50 and accounted for 97.5% of the variance in consumer behaviour (R² = 0.975, p < 0.001), while mobile marketing had a grand mean of 3.29 and accounted for 99.3% of the variance (R² = 0.993, p < 0.001). Consumer behaviour was measured through indicators of purchase intention, brand switching, purchase frequency, information-seeking behaviour, impulse buying, brand loyalty, and post-purchase satisfaction, yielding a grand mean of 3.41. Both strategies significantly influenced consumer behaviour, with mobile marketing emerging as the stronger predictor. Recommendations include that retailers should intensify investment in social media marketing by creating interactive and visually appealing content, adopt personalised and timely mobile marketing messages to avoid consumer fatigue, and leverage mobile payment options strategically.