The Impact of Social Media Marketing and Viral Marketing on Purchasing Decisions

Abstract:  Social media is a marketing medium that is currently very effective because most people have smartphones and use them almost all the time. Viral marketing is a marketing strategy that is also currently very effective in attracting consumer attention because viral information is always the most sought after topic so that it attracts a lot of people’s attention. This study was conducted with the aim of knowing social media marketing and the influence of viral marketing on purchasing decisions (Study on TikTok user management students at Halu Oleo University). The sample used was 65 samples with minimum age criteria of 18 years and a maximum of 25 years. In this study, the sampling technique used was Purposive sampling, which is a sampling technique with certain considerations based on predetermined criteria. The data analysis used in this research is multivariate regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that the social media marketing variable (X1) has a positive and significant impact on purchasing decisions (Y), viral marketing (X2) has a positive and significant impact on purchasing decisions (Y), and social media marketing variables (X1) and viral marketing (X2) simultaneously have a positive and significant impact on purchasing decisions (Y).