Social Media Usage Patterns and Consumer Purchasing Decision Making Processes of Notebook Computer in Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the demographic characteristics of consumers who purchased laptop computers in Nonthaburi Province; 2) to study the importance of social media usage patterns among consumers in Nonthaburi Province; 3) to study the importance of the consumer's decision making toward purchasing notebook computers in Nonthaburi Province; 4) to compare the patterns of social media usage in consumer decision making to purchase notebook computers in Nonthaburi, which were classified by demographic characteristics; and   5) to compare the decision-making processes to purchase notebook computers in Nonthaburi province, which were classified by demographic characteristics. This research adopted questionnaires as a research tool. The sample was 400 people who bought notebook computers and used social media lived in Nonthaburi Province. The statistics used were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, One-Way ANOVA, and pair testing by LSD (Least Significant Difference) method.

The results of the research revealed that most of the respondents were female, aged between 20-30 years, with bachelor's degrees, currently working as an occupational employee of a private company that has a monthly income between 20,001-30,000 baht and living in the city of Nonthaburi district. The overall social media usage patterns of consumers in Nonthaburi were at a high level, Facebook had become first with the highest average rating, followed by Instagram, Line, YouTube, and Twitter respectively. The overall purchasing decision making process for notebook computers is at a high level where purchasing decision became first with the highest mean, followed by alternative evaluation, searching for information perception of need and feelings after purchase respectively. The hypothesis testing found that age, education level, occupation, and residential districts were different. There are different social media usage patterns influenced by different levels of education, occupation, and residential districts resulting in different purchasing decisions, which was statistically significant at the .05 level.