Conceptualising and examining a social media marketing framework to predict consumer buying intentions in emerging apparel markets

The advent of electronic marketing has culminated in a paradigm shift in the way businesses engage their target audiences globally. Social media marketing has created serendipitous avenues for customer engagement and catalysing the sales funnel. This study examined differential the impact of social media application (WhatsApp ®, ™) features on consumer buying intentions in the apparel industry. Based on the dominant features used by apparel retailers, a research model was proposed. The study predicted that display catalogs, status updates, real-time chats, direct calls and group referrals positively influenced consumer buying intentions. The study targeted consumers accessing assorted apparel lines from apparel retailers in Harare, Zimbabwe. A causal explanatory design and a quantitative approach were adopted consistent with positivism. A structured questionnaire and a convenience sampling procedure were used to obtain 321 valid responses in an online survey. Measurement model assessment through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the validity and reliability of constructs. The findings from Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) revealed the positive and significant influence of status updates, real-time chats, direct calls and group referrals on consumer buying intentions. However, the effect of display catalogs was insignificant. This study validates a social media application model and therefore recommends that retailers in small to medium businesses embrace social commerce as a cost-effective lever on customer engagement and sales. Apparel retailers were also urged to utilise the flagged features proportionate to their propensity to trigger consumer purchase intentions.