Editorial Board

A Refereed Monthly International Journal of Management

The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intentions: A Comparative Analysis of Customers of Different Age Groups

 

Dr. Abhijit Ashok Patil

Assistant Professor,

Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University),

Yashwantrao Mohite Institute of

Management Karad-415 110

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0767-6436

Corresponding Author

 abhijit.patil@bharatividyapeeth.edu

 

 

Rajashekar D

Assistant Professor,

Department of Media Studies,

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

Yeshwanthpur Campus,

Bangalore-560073, Karnataka, India

 

Dr. Prashanth V

Head & Associate Professor,

Department of Journalism and

Mass Communication,

St Pauls College, Bengaluru-560073,

Karnataka, India

 

Dr. Vinod Kumar D. Chavan

Assistant Professor,

Department of Journalism and

Mass Communication,

St Pauls College, Bengaluru-560073,

Karnataka, India

 

Dr. Mrs. Jayashree Prashant Kharat

DKTEs Textile and Engineering

Institute Ichalkaranji,

Maharashtra, India

 

 

 

 

Abstract

Social media has become a pivotal platform for marketing, significantly shaping consumer behavior and purchase intentions. As businesses increasingly rely on social media to engage with potential customers, understanding how different age groups respond to social media marketing is crucial for optimizing advertising strategies.

The major objective of this research was to study the impact of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions. To serve the objective causal research design was used and a sample of 632 social media users was selected. The data was collected with the help of Google docs and the same was analysed by using SPSS. The results indicated that facebook, Instagram and YouTube are most popular social media platforms which are used by consumers of all age groups. The consumers of younger ages prefer to see entertaining content on social media while on the other hand older age group consumers get engaged with informational content. It was found that that there is a significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions and the level of influence differ with respect to the age groups.

Key Words: Social media marketing, Consumer purchase intention, Social media influence

Background for the Study:

In recent years, social media has emerged as one of the most influential platforms for marketing and advertising, significantly altering consumer behavior. Social media marketing (SMM) refers to the use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands, with the aim of engaging and influencing potential consumers. Given the extensive use of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and others, businesses have increasingly recognized social media as a powerful tool for reaching their target audience, especially in a digitally connected world.

 

The capacity of social media marketing to influence consumers' purchase intentions—basically, the possibility that they would decide to buy something after seeing it on social media—is frequently used to gauge its efficacy.  How various demographic groups—particularly age groups—react to social media marketing is yet unknown, though.  Digital literacy, sensitivity to marketing tactics, and online behavior are all significantly influenced by age.  Older generations may have distinct attitudes, tastes, and habits regarding social media marketing, even if newer generations (such Millennials and Gen Z) are frequently perceived as being more skilled at using these platforms.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of social media marketing on the purchase intentions of consumers in different age groups.  Through an analysis of the actions of several generations, including Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation X, and Generation Z, the study will shed light on how variables like brand perception, social media involvement, and trust in ads differ among these groups.  Additionally, the study will examine how well various marketing tactics—such as sponsored posts, influencer endorsements, and interactive content—resonate with various age groups.

Businesses looking to maximize their social media initiatives must comprehend these distinctions.  Marketing initiatives can be made more effective and efficient by customizing content for particular age groups, which can boost engagement and eventually affect purchase decisions.  In order to increase customer satisfaction and boost sales, marketers may find the study's conclusions to be helpful in tailoring campaigns to the tastes and needs of consumers across various age groups.

To sum up, this study will advance our knowledge of how social media marketing influences the behavior of customers in various demographic groups.  It will provide useful advice for companies trying to target particular age groups and get the most out of their social media marketing expenditures.

Review of Previous Studies

 

The influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions has been widely researched in recent years, with scholars exploring various aspects of how digital marketing impacts consumer behavior. However, there remains a gap in understanding how different age groups respond to social media marketing strategies. This review synthesizes previous research related to social media marketing and consumer behavior, with a particular focus on age-related differences.

 Nabilla & Saputro (2025) have demonstrated how well social media marketing works to influence consumers' intentions to make purchases.  The importance of social media as a vehicle for brand building and customer engagement was highlighted in a study by Rachmad, Budiyanto & Khuzaini (2025), which also noted that interactive advertisements, peer recommendations, and user-generated material are crucial in influencing consumer choices.  In a similar vein, Singh, I., Dutt et al. (2025) contended that social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter give brands the chance to interact directly with customers, which can have a favorable impact on their purchasing decisions.

Syed et al. (2025) have looked into the perceptions and reactions of various age groups to social media marketing. Prasojo & Aliami (2025) discovered that younger generations, such Millennials and Generation Z, are more inclined to use social media marketing because of their high degree of technological comfort and digital literacy.  Millennials are more likely to believe peer recommendations and influencer endorsements, which are common on social media platforms, according to Nugraha & Azhar (2025) study.

Ismael et al. (2025), on the other hand, looked at how older age groups, including Baby Boomers and Generation X, responded to social media marketing.  They discovered that elderly consumers need more straightforward, factual content before making decisions about what to buy and are generally more dubious of internet ads.  This is corroborated by Suardana et al. (2024), who found that elderly customers frequently rely on traditional advertising channels and are more wary of the reliability of online content.

   The Zeqiri et al. (2025) study emphasizes how social media usage varies by generation, which has a big impact on how social media marketing affects consumers' intents to buy.  While Baby Boomers and Generation X frequently use Facebook and LinkedIn for social networking, they are less involved with brand promotions than Generation Z and Millennials, who typically use social media on a daily basis and prefer apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Qing, Safeer & Khan (2024) investigated the age-based effects of various social media platforms on purchase intentions and discovered that older consumers react better to traditional ads and informative posts, while younger consumers are more influenced by visual content and influencer marketing.  These results highlight how crucial it is to modify marketing messaging according on the platform preferences and engagement styles of various age groups.

In a study on the impact of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions, Safeer (2024) found that interacting with social media material can greatly boost brand loyalty and raise the probability of a purchase.  According to their research, purchase intentions are increased when social media marketing elicits emotional connection, particularly among younger customers who have stronger emotional bonds with firms on social media.

   Additionally, Daga et al. (2024) investigated how influencer marketing affects consumers' intents to make purchases and discovered that age is a key factor.  They discovered that whereas older consumers are more likely to be swayed by direct advertising or professional endorsements, younger consumers are more likely to trust influencers and base their purchases on recommendations.

Social media marketing is crucial in influencing consumers' intentions to make purchases, according to earlier research Kuncoro & Kusumawati (2021). Nevertheless, little is known about how different age groups react.  Through an analysis of how various generations view social media marketing, engage with brand material, and make judgments about what to buy, this study seeks to add to the body of literature.  Marketers can more effectively engage each demographic by customizing their methods based on an awareness of these age-specific characteristics.

Gaps in Literature and Research Contribution 

   While there is substantial research on social media marketing and consumer purchase intentions, few studies have specifically focused on a comparative analysis of how different age groups react to various marketing strategies. Most research tends to generalize the effects of social media marketing across all consumers, without considering the nuances of generational differences. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a comparative analysis of how social media marketing impacts consumers from different age cohorts, such as Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers.

Objectives

1. To study the social media usage of consumers belonging to different age generations
2. To examine the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups
3. To compare the customers’ satisfaction with purchase made due to social media marketing among different age groups (e.g., Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers).

Hypotheses

1. There is no significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions.
2. There is no significant difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups.
3. Customers’ Satisfaction is indifferent with respect to their age groups.

Research Methodology

• Research Design: The research has studied the impact of social media marketing on customers’ purchase decision so causal research design has been used.
• Sampling: The population frame included the social media users of different age groups. By using the purposive sampling method a sample of 632 social media users was selected.
• Data Collection Tool: To get the data from sample units a structured questionnaire was circulated by using Google docs. The questionnaire was divided into following sub-sections:-
  • Demographic profile
  • Social media behavior
  • Influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions
  • Customers’ satisfaction with purchase made due to social media marketing
• Data Analysis Tool: The data has been analyzed in SPSS 21.0. For interpretation percentage analysis, mean, one sample t-test and ANOVA has been used.

Analysis of Data

• Demographic Profile of Social Media Users

In the beginning of questionnaire Social media users were asked to indicate their demographic profile as shown in table 1

• Age of Social media users: As per the age range of social media users they were divided into four categories as depicted in table 1. The users aged below 28 years were classified as Gen Z consumers, users who were aged from 28 to 44 years were classified as millennials, the third category was of generation X consumers who were aged between 45 to 60 years and senior citizens were classified as baby boomers.
• Gender of Social media users: Out of the total Social media users 55.90% (N=353) were males and rests were females (N=279, Percentage=44.10).
• Profession of Social media users: As per data presented 60% of the users were in job. The rest of the respondents were unemployed (14.90%), self employed (12.30%) and retired (12.80%).
• Location of Social media users: It was found that 47.60% users were residing in urban area, 43.40% respondents were from suburban area and 9% respondents were from rural area.

Table 1: Demographic Profile of Social media users

Age (In Years)	N	Percentage	Profession	N	Percentage
Below 28 Years	73	11.6	Unemployed	94	14.9
28 to 44 Years	274	43.4	Job holder	379	60.0
45 to 60 Years	213	33.7	Self Employed	78	12.3
Above 60 Years	72	11.4	Retired	81	12.8
Total	632	100	Total	632	100
Age	N	Percentage	Location	N	Percentage
Male	353	55.9	Urban	301	47.6
Female	279	44.1	Suburban	274	43.4
Other	0	0.0	Rural	57	9.0
Total	632	100	Total	632	100

 

• Social media usage of consumers belonging to different age generations

Respondents were asked that how frequently they use social media and results received are presented in table 2. It could be observed that all the generation Z consumers use social media multiple times in a day whereas more than half of the millennials (N=152, Percentage=55.50) have indicated the same. Majority of generation X consumers (N=71, Percentage=33.30) said that they use social media once in a day and 27% of the baby boomers indicated the use of social media once a week.

Table 2: Frequency of Using Social Media

Frequency of using social media	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Multiple times a day	73	100.0	152	55.5	45	21.1	5	6.9
Once a day	0	0.0	62	22.6	71	33.3	6	8.3
3-4 times a week	0	0.0	41	15.0	54	25.4	9	12.5
Once a week	0	0.0	19	6.9	32	15.0	27	37.5
Less than once a week	0	0.0	0	0.0	11	5.2	25	34.7
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100

 

 

Table 3 is showing the list of social media platforms which are most frequently used by consumers. It can be seen that all the generation Z consumers and more than 80% of the millennials and generation X consumers have indicated the use of Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  The Baby boomers have highlighted the use of YouTube (97.20%) and Facebook (88.90%) the most.

Table 3: Preferred Social Media

Preferred Social Media	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Facebook	73	100.0	251	91.6	191	89.7	64	88.9
Instagram	73	100.0	232	84.7	174	81.7	47	65.3
Twitter	51	69.9	147	53.6	148	69.5	19	26.4
YouTube	73	100.0	220	80.3	187	87.8	70	97.2
LinkedIn	44	60.3	112	40.9	131	61.5	9	12.5
Snapchat	50	68.5	134	48.9	97	45.5	18	25.0
Pinterest	48	65.8	101	36.9	82	38.5	14	19.4

 

In this section at last respondents were asked that what type of content engaged them most on social media and results are depicted in table 4. Majority of generation Z (N=71, Percentage=97.30%) and millennial consumers (N=218, Percentage=79.60%) love to see entertaining content (memes, videos etc.) most of the time whereas maximum number of generation X (N=192, Percentage=90.10%) and baby boomers (N=69, Percentage=95.80%) get most engaged with informational content (articles, guides etc.)

Table 4: Preferred Content on Social Media

Preferred Content on Social Media	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Promotional Ads	52	71.2	122	44.5	101	47.4	32	44.4
Influencer/Brand Collaborations	64	87.7	147	53.6	112	52.6	21	29.2
User-generated Content (reviews, photos, videos)	69	94.5	134	48.9	125	58.7	41	56.9
Informational Content (articles, guides)	65	89.0	162	59.1	192	90.1	69	95.8
Entertaining Content (memes, videos, etc.)	71	97.3	218	79.6	187	87.8	52	72.2

 

 

• Influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

More than 3/4^th of the generation Z consumers (76.70%) said that they are very likely to purchase a product after seeing advertised on social media whereas 51.80% of millennials and 47.90% of generation X consumers indicated the same results. Majority of baby boomers (34.70%) indicated the neutral opinion on this issue. From the mean score comparison it is clear that generation Z consumers (mean=4.70) get highly motivated to purchase product after seeing it advertised on social media followed by generation X (mean=4.23), millennials (mean=4.20) and baby boomers (mean=3.04).  

Table 5: Possibility of purchasing product after seeing advertisement on social media

Response	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Very likely	56	76.7	142	51.8	102	47.9	7	9.7
Somewhat likely	12	16.4	74	27.0	79	37.1	19	26.4
Neutral	5	6.8	39	14.2	15	7.0	25	34.7
Somewhat unlikely	0	0.0	10	3.6	12	5.6	12	16.7
Very unlikely	0	0.0	9	3.3	5	2.3	9	12.5
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100
Mean	4.70		4.20		4.23		3.04

 

For 82.20% of the generation z consumers the influencer endorsement in very important in influencing their decision to purchase product on social media and around half of the millennials (N=139, Percentage=50.70%) and generation X (N=105, Percentage=49.30%) consumers indicated the same results. According to baby boomers influencer endorsement is not much important from them. From the mean scores it can be inferred that for generation z consumers (mean=4.79) the influencer endorsement in very important followed by generation X (mean=4.21) and millennials (mean=4.16).

Table 6: Importance of celebrity endorsement in influencing purchase decision

Response	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Very important	60	82.2	139	50.7	105	49.3	3	4.2
Somewhat important	11	15.1	72	26.3	71	33.3	11	15.3
Neutral	2	2.7	41	15.0	17	8.0	21	29.2
Not very important	0	0.0	12	4.4	16	7.5	20	27.8
Not at all important	0	0.0	10	3.6	4	1.9	17	23.6
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100
Mean	4.79		4.16		4.21		2.49

 

Respondents were asked that do they consider reviews or recommendations from other users on social media when making a purchase decision and results are shown in table 7. Majority of generation z (84.90%), millennials (58.80%) and generation X (60.60%) consumers said they always consider reviews or recommendations from other users on social media when making a purchase decision. However majority of baby boomers (40.30%) said that they rarely do the same. It is clear from the mean scores that generation Z consumers (mean=3.85) considers the reviews most followed by the generation X (3.38) and millennials (mean=3.34).    

Table 7: Consideration of reviews and recommendations of other users

Response	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Yes, always	62	84.9	161	58.8	129	60.6	2	2.8
Yes, sometimes	11	15.1	62	22.6	51	23.9	26	36.1
No, rarely	0	0.0	35	12.8	19	8.9	29	40.3
No, never	0	0.0	16	5.8	14	6.6	15	20.8
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100
Mean	3.85		3.34		3.38		2.21

 

To measure the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions, respondents were asked to indicate their agreement level towards various statements as shown in table 8. According to respondents they often discover new products through social media marketing (Mean=3.64) and social media posts from brands or influencers make them feel more engaged with a brand, which influence their purchasing decision (Mean=3.48) as well as they feel more motivated to make a purchase when a brand offers limited-time offers or promotions on social media (Mean=3.46). Respondents indicated that they get influenced by social media reviews and ratings (Mean=3.44), they trust products recommended by influencers (Mean=3.42) that’s why they tend to make impulse purchases after seeing engaging social media content from a brand or influencer (Mean=3.47).

Table 8: Influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

Statements	Mean	S.D.	C.V.	Level of Agreement
I tend to make impulse purchases after seeing engaging social media content from a brand or influencer	3.47	0.98	0.28	Agree
I am more likely to purchase products that align with the values and messaging shared by brands on social media	3.14	1.07	0.34	Neutral
I feel more motivated to make a purchase when a brand offers limited-time offers or promotions on social media	3.46	1.12	0.32	Agree
I trust products more when they are recommended by influencers I follow on social media	3.42	0.74	0.22	Agree
I find social media ads to be more relatable and appealing compared to ads on other platforms (TV, print, etc.).	3.12	1.09	0.35	Neutral
I am influenced by social media reviews and ratings when deciding whether to buy a product.	3.44	1.01	0.29	Agree
Social media posts from brands or influencers make me feel more engaged with a brand, which influences my purchasing decision.	3.48	1.28	0.37	Agree
I feel more confident making a purchase when I see influencer endorsements on social media.	3.29	0.86	0.26	Neutral
I often discover new products through social media marketing.	3.64	0.79	0.22	Agree

 

Table 9 is showing the overall influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions. 42.20% consumers said that social media marketing has high influence whereas 45.30% consumers indicated the moderate influence of social media marketing on their purchase intentions. Only 1/8^th of the respondents (12.50%) said that social media marketing has low influence on their purchase intentions.  

Table 9: Overall influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

Overall Influence	N	Percentage
Low	79	12.5
Moderate	286	45.3
High	267	42.2
Total	632	100

 

To check the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions following hypothesis has been taken:-

H₀1: There is no significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

H_a1: There is a significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

To test this hypothesis one sample t-test was applied and results are shown in table 10. At 5% level of significance the value of t-statistic is significant, and calculated value of mean (30.57) is higher than the tabulated mean (25) so it can be concluded that there is a significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions.  

Table 10: One sample t-test result to measure influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions

Variable	Test Value = 25		t- value	p-Value	Result
	Mean	S.D.
Overall Influence	30.57	2.289	61.17	0.000	Significant

Level of Significance=5%

Table 11 is depicting the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions with respect to their age groups. More than 4/5^th of the generation Z consumers (80.80%) indicated the high influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions, majority of millennials (55.10%) also indicated the same opinion. Majority of generation X (28.46%) and baby boomers (62.50%) said that social media marketing has moderate influence on their purchase intentions. According to mean score generation Z consumers (Mean=36.37) get highly influenced by social media marketing followed by millennials (Mean=32.08), generation X (Mean=28.46) and baby boomers (Mean=25.17).

Table 11: Influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions with respect to age groups

Overall Influence	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Low	2	2.7	35	12.8	23	10.8	19	26.4
Moderate	12	16.4	88	32.1	141	66.2	45	62.5
High	59	80.8	151	55.1	49	23.0	8	11.1
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100
Mean	36.37		32.08		28.46		25.17

 

To check the difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups following hypothesis has been taken:-

H₀2: There is no significant difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups

H_a2: There is a significant difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups

To test this hypothesis ANOVA test was applied and results are shown in table 12. At 5% level of significance the value of F-statistic is significant, which leads to the rejection of hypothesis so it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups.  

Table 12: ANOVA result to measure difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups

Source of Variation	Sum of Squares	Degree of Freedom	Mean Sum of Squares	F-Ratio	p-value	Result
Between Samples	1503.72	3	501.238	7.385	0.000	Significant
Within Samples	42621.8	628	67.869
Total	44125.5	631

Level of Significance=5%

• Customers’ satisfaction with purchase made due to social media marketing

Consumers have purchased many products after seeing advertisement on social media; the categories of such products are shown in table 13. Except home goods all the products have been purchased by more than 80% of the generation Z consumers. The maximum number of millennials (73.40%) purchased Beauty/cosmetics after getting influenced from social media marketing whereas majority of generation X consumers (76.10%) purchased apparels. The baby boomers purchased home goods (80.60%) and electronics (68.10%) after getting influenced from social media marketing.

Table 13: Product purchased after seeing advertisement on social media

Response	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Fashion/apparel	64	87.7	184	67.2	162	76.1	22	30.6
Beauty/cosmetics	60	82.2	201	73.4	132	62.0	34	47.2
Electronics	61	83.6	175	63.9	119	55.9	49	68.1
Home goods	41	56.2	122	44.5	147	69.0	58	80.6
Food & beverages	59	80.8	101	36.9	129	60.6	19	26.4

 

Table 14 is showing the customers’ satisfaction with the purchase made due to social media marketing. It can be observed that majority of generation Z (65.80%), millennials (39.80%) and generation X (46.50%) consumers were satisfied whereas maximum number of baby boomers (34.70%) were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the purchase made due to social media marketing. From the mean score it can be concluded that the satisfaction level of generation Z consumers is highest (Mean=4.22) followed by generation X (Mean=4.02), millennials (Mean=3.81) and baby boomers (Mean=2.57).

Table 14: Customers’ satisfaction with purchase made due to social media marketing

Response	Generation Z		Millennials		Generation X		Baby Boomers
	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage	N	Percentage
Highly Satisfied	21	28.8	81	29.6	62	29.1	4	5.6
Satisfied	48	65.8	109	39.8	99	46.5	9	12.5
Neutral	3	4.1	45	16.4	48	22.5	25	34.7
Dissatisfied	1	1.4	30	10.9	2	0.9	20	27.8
Highly Dissatisfied	0	0.0	9	3.3	2	0.9	14	19.4
Total	73	100	274	100	213	100	72	100
Mean	4.22		3.81		4.02		2.57

 

 

To check the difference in the customers’ satisfaction across different age groups following hypothesis has been taken:-

H₀3: Customers’ Satisfaction is indifferent with respect to their age groups

H_a3: Customers’ Satisfaction is significantly different with respect to their age groups

To test this hypothesis ANOVA test was applied and results are shown in table 15. At 5% level of significance the value of F-statistic is significant, which leads to the rejection of hypothesis so it can be concluded that Customers’ Satisfaction is significantly different with respect to their age groups.  

Table 15: ANOVA result to measure difference in the customers’ satisfaction across different age groups

Source of Variation	Sum of Squares	Degree of Freedom	Mean Sum of Squares	F-Ratio	p-value	Result
Between Samples	2974.69	3	991.563	19.131	0.000	Significant
Within Samples	32549.3	628	51.830
Total	35524	631

Level of Significance=5%

Findings:

1. The results indicated that all the gen z consumers and majority of millennials use social media multiple times in a day, whereas generation X consumers use social media once a day and baby boomers normally use once a week. The facebook, Instagram and YouTube are popular social media among the consumers of different age groups.
2. The consumers of younger ages prefer to see entertaining content on social media while on the other hand older age group consumers get engaged with informational content.
3. The results highlighted that generation Z consumers (mean=4.70) get highly motivated to purchase product after seeing it advertised on social media followed by generation X (mean=4.23), millennials (mean=4.20) and baby boomers (mean=3.04). Similarly for generation z consumers (mean=4.79) the influencer endorsement in very important followed by generation X (mean=4.21) and millennials (mean=4.16).
4. 20% consumers said that social media marketing has high influence whereas 45.30% consumers indicated the moderate influence of social media marketing on their purchase intentions. The results of one sample t-test depicted that there is a significant influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions.
5. According to mean score generation Z consumers (Mean=36.37) get highly influenced by social media marketing followed by millennials (Mean=32.08), generation X (Mean=28.46) and baby boomers (Mean=25.17). The hypothesis testing revealed that there is a significant difference in the influence of social media marketing on consumer purchase intentions across different age groups.
6. The maximum number of millennials (73.40%) purchased Beauty/cosmetics after getting influenced from social media marketing whereas majority of generation X consumers (76.10%) purchased apparels. The baby boomers purchased home goods (80.60%) and electronics (68.10%) after getting influenced from social media marketing.
7. From the mean score it can be concluded that the satisfaction level of generation Z consumers is highest (Mean=4.22) followed by generation X (Mean=4.02), millennials (Mean=3.81) and baby boomers (Mean=2.57). The results of ANOVA test revealed that customers’ Satisfaction is significantly different with respect to their age groups.

Discussion of Findings:

1. Social Media Usage Frequency by Different Age Groups

The findings showed that whereas Generation X uses social media once a day and Baby Boomers use it once a week, Generation Z and most Millennials use it several times a day.  According to Al-Azzam & Al-Mizeed (2021), older generations like Generation X and Baby Boomers use Facebook and Twitter less frequently than younger generations like Generation Z and Millennials, who are more engaged with social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.  Furthermore, Erlangga, Sos & Erlangga (2021) discovered that younger consumers are more inclined to incorporate social media into their daily routines than older generations, indicating a substantial difference in the digital behavior of Millennials and Gen Z.

This study's findings about the popularity of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube across all age groups are in line with Al-Azzam & Al-Mizeed (2021), who discovered that these platforms have a large user base that spans age groups, but with different usage patterns.  However, younger customers like interactive and visual material, which is increasingly common on YouTube and Instagram.

2. Content Preferences Based on Age

   According to the study, older age groups, like Baby Boomers, are more likely to interact with informational content, while younger age groups, like Generation Z, prefer to see entertaining content. Hanaysha (2022) corroborate these findings by pointing out that older consumers typically favor more informative and educational content on social media, whereas younger consumers are more likely to interact with interactive, visually appealing, and entertaining content (e.g., influencer content, memes).  This supports the findings of Daga et al. (2024), who noted that Baby Boomers and Generation X are more receptive to clear, educational content that aids in their decision-making.

3. Influence of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intentions

As a result of seeing a product marketed on social media, Generation Z customers (mean=4.70) were the most likely to buy it, followed by Generation X (mean=4.23), Millennials (mean=4.20), and Baby Boomers (mean=3.04).  The findings of Wulandari & Rauf (2022), who pointed out that younger customers, especially Gen Z, are more vulnerable to the influence of digital material and are likely to base their purchase decisions on social media exposure, are consistent with the higher motivation of younger consumers.  Furthermore, Gen Z is more inclined to trust social media ads and make rash purchases based on what they see online.

   Likewise, Gen Z (mean=4.79), Generation X (mean=4.21), and Millennials (mean=4.16) ranked best in terms of the significance of influencer endorsements.  This is consistent with the findings of Zeqiri et al. (2025), who discovered that younger consumers—especially Gen Z—place a high value on influencer recommendations and frequently view them as more genuine than traditional advertising Wulandari & Rauf (2022), added that because influencers are seen as relatable and trustworthy, their endorsements have a significant effect on the purchasing decisions of younger consumers.

4. Impact of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intentions

42.20% of customers said social media marketing had a high influence on their purchase intentions, according to the report, while 45.30% said it had a moderate influence.  Moslehpour et al. (2021) contended that social media marketing has a major impact by interacting with users directly and influencing their purchasing behavior, which is consistent with the substantial influence of social media marketing on customer buy intentions.  Additionally, Nabilla & Saputro (2025)  noted that social media can foster an emotional bond and a sense of urgency, both of which have a beneficial effect on purchase intentions, especially when the content is catered to the audience's interests.

5. Age-Related Differences in Social Media Influence

The findings showed that social media marketing had the greatest impact on Gen Z (Mean=36.37), Millennials (Mean=32.08), Generation X (Mean=28.46), and Baby Boomers (Mean=25.17).  This is in line with research by Hasan & Sohail (2021) who discovered that younger generations are more likely to be persuaded by online ads and are typically more open to social media marketing.  Younger consumers, who are more tech-savvy, are more likely to react to social media content than older consumers, who frequently show skepticism toward online marketing tactics.

6. Purchase Categories by Age Group

Generation X (76.10%) preferred buying Apparel, while Millennials (73.40%) were more likely to buy Beauty/Cosmetics products. Baby Boomers were more likely to buy Home Goods (80.60%) and Electronics (68.10%), according to the study.  These results are in line with Zhang, Zhang & Daim (2023), who found that social media influence influenced the kinds of products that were bought differently by generations.  As demonstrated by Nugraha & Azhar (2025), who discovered that beauty and cosmetics products are heavily promoted and bought through social media platforms, particularly by younger consumers, millennials' preference for beauty products is consistent with the growth of influencer marketing in the beauty industry.

7. Customer Satisfaction by Age Group

Millennials (Mean=3.81), Generation Z (Mean=4.22), and Baby Boomers (Mean=2.57) were the next generation groups with the most satisfaction with social media marketing.  The results of Prasojo & Aliami (2025), who observed that younger consumers are generally more satisfied with social media marketing campaigns due to the relevance and engagement of the content, are supported by the ANOVA test, which revealed significant differences in customer satisfaction across age groups.  According to Syed et al. (2025), younger consumers frequently find social media campaigns more interesting and in line with their interests, and their happiness with social media marketing is strongly correlated with how well the content resonates with the target population.

Conclusion 

The results of this study are in line with a large amount of research on consumer behavior and social media marketing.  It underlines how important it is to customize content for various age groups and how social media marketing has a big impact on buy intentions, particularly among younger consumers.  When creating social media campaigns, marketers should take these generational differences into account and make sure that the content suits the tastes and routines of each target audience in order to increase engagement and conversion.

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