An Empirical Study of the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intention Based on the SOR Theory

Abstract

With the rise of social media operating models against the backdrop of the e-commerce economy, more and more consumers enjoy and are accustomed to searching for target products and shopping on familiar social media platforms. Based on the SOR theory, this study explored the impact of trust, perceived value, interaction, and attention degree in social media marketing on consumers’ flow experience and risk perception, as well as how these factors further influence consumers’ purchase intention. The objectives of the study were: 1) To analyze the impact mechanism of social media marketing and flow experience on consumer purchase intention. 2) To explore the moderating effect of consumer risk perception on purchase intention. The study used a quantitative research method to explore the relationship between variables, conducting a questionnaire survey, and employed the SPSS 23.0 software for data analysis. The sample size was 1,300 respondents, surveyed on social media platforms (TikTok, Kuaishou, Little red book, Bilibili, and Weibo), with the data collection period from January 1, 2024, to February 15, 2024, resulting in 1265 valid questionnaire with a response rate of 97.3%. The results indicated that consumers’ attention degree, interaction, perceived value, and trust in social media influencers positively affect their flow experience, and that consumers’ flow experience significantly enhance their purchase intention. However, consumers’ risk perception negatively moderates the relationship between flow experience and purchase intention; when risk perception is high, the impact of flow experience on purchase intention weakens. This suggests that high-risk situations can diminish the positive influence of flow experience on purchasing decisions. Therefore, to better promote consumers’ purchase intention, businesses can enhance consumer attention degree by improving interaction and flow experience, such as utilizing live sales and AR technology for virtual try-ons, to reduce consumer uncertainty. The output of high-quality content and multi-channel distribution strategies can increase brand attention and perceived value, stimulating consumers’ purchase intention. Finally, in response to the current trust crisis among consumers on social media platforms, the government and platform providers can strengthen regulatory systems and secure transaction measures to protect consumer rights, thereby promoting healthy consumption behavior in the social media environment.

Keywords: social media marketing, flow experience, risk perception, consumer purchase intention.

6317195032 Li Xuanru, 2568 (2025). Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Qiu Chao, สารนิพนธ์ (Independent Study), An Empirical Study of the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intention Based on the Sor Theory, นำเสนอในที่ประชุมวิชาการ (Conference), The 17th National and International Academic Conference 2024, ปริญญาโท (Master’s Degree), บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย (Graduate School), Master of Business Administration, International Business Management, Siam University, Bangkok, Thailand – มหาวิทยาลัยสยาม กรุงเทพมหานคร ประเทศไทย