The impact of social media marketing on consumer brand selection: a case of Durban customers

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of social media marketing on South African consumers' brand selection in Durban, with the primary goal of determining the extent to which social media marketing influences consumers' decision-making when selecting a brand. This research used a quantitative research method and non-probability sampling approaches. Only 400 questionnaires out of 450 were collected. In this study, descriptive, and inferential statistics were used. The results of this study suggest that social media is an extremely effective communication tool that might be used to sway consumers' judgments when selecting where to buy. All users claimed to utilize computer-generated platforms, with Facebook being the most widely used. Customers claimed that the more information they learnt about a business through social media, the more they desired to purchase it, and the opposite was also true. According to the report, businesses should publish promotional events, competitions, and giveaways on their social media brand pages to increase customer interest and traffic. Another recommendation was for marketers to establish a personality who can effectively represent a brand on social media and give it a lively mood that will attract customers.