A research on effectiveness of Facebook advertising on enhancing purchase intention of consumers

• To identify consumer perceptions towards social media advertising approach and relationship to developing brand image for companies.
• Examine how Facebook advertising impacts user likelihood of elaboration in regards to generate further messages from a brand.

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of advertisements in enhancing consumers’ purchasing intention on Facebook in 2013. It is an applied study in terms of its goals, and a descriptive survey one in terms of methodology. The statistical population included all undergraduate students in Cypriot universities. An 11-item researcher-made questionnaire was used to compare and analyze the effectiveness of advertisements. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS17, the parametric statistical method of t-test, and the non-parametric Friedman test. The results of the study showed that Facebook advertising significantly affected brand image and brand equity, both of which factors contributed to a significant change in purchasing intention.