Iris Daniela Gallowitsch

• The landscape of consumer buying behaviour has been transformed by the advent of social media, which now plays an integral role in influencing consumer buying decisions. Companies have increasingly recognised the huge economic potential of social media and are attempting to persuade consumers to make purchases through attractive marketing stimuli. This master's thesis examines the influence of social media on online impulse buying behaviour, with a special focus on Instagram, a channel with a substantial user base in Austria. Therefore, the main objective of the research is to systematically investigate and understand the factors that influence the online buying behaviour of Instagram users. The thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of impulse buying, exploring various determinants and their effects within the context of Instagram's online environment. The empirical basis of this study is a survey conducted among Austrian Instagram users aged between 18 and 34, which investigates the interplay of social media advertising, social electronic word-of-mouth, influencer marketing, and online impulse buying intention. The theoretical framework is based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response model, which provides insights into consumer behaviour in an online environment. The thesis employs quantitative research methods and analyses data using descriptive and inferential statistics. It highlights the importance of social media stimuli in creating an environment that encourages impulse buying behaviour. The study's findings indicate that social media advertising on Instagram has a significant impact on online impulse buying intentions. Additionally, social electronic word-of-mouth and influencer marketing also show a positive correlation with online impulse buying intentions, even though to a lesser degree. Furthermore, the study establishes online impulse buying intention as a statistically significant influence on online impulse buying behaviour.