EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER MARKETING ON BRAND AWARENESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN COIMBATORE CITY

This study examines the effect of social media influencer marketing on brand awareness among college students in Coimbatore city. With the rapid growth of digital communication technologies, social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook have become important marketing tools that allow brands to interact directly with consumers. College students represent one of the most active groups of social media users, making them an important target segment for influencer-driven marketing strategies. The study adopts a descriptive research design and uses primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from 100 college students. Convenience sampling was used to select respondents, and percentage analysis was applied to interpret the data. The results indicate that social media influencer marketing significantly improves brand awareness among college students by increasing brand recognition, recall, and familiarity. The findings also show that Instagram is the most influential platform for brand promotions, followed by YouTube. The study concludes that influencer credibility, engaging content, and frequent exposure to social media advertisements play an important role in shaping brand awareness among students. Therefore, brands targeting youth markets should strategically collaborate with influencers and focus on interactive social media campaigns to strengthen brand visibility and engagement. Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Brand Awareness, Digital Marketing, College Students