Digital Marketing Strategies and Consumer Purchase Intentions in Nigerian Tech Start-Ups: A Moderated Mediation Approach

This study investigated the influence of digital marketing strategies on consumer purchase intentions among Nigerian tech start-ups using a moderated mediation approach. Specifically, it examined the effects of social media marketing, influencer marketing, online advertising, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). Adopting a quantitative research design, data were collected from 336 consumers and digital marketing personnel of tech start-ups in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test direct, mediating, and moderating relationships. Results revealed that social media marketing and influencer marketing had significant positive direct effects on purchase intention. Social media engagement significantly moderated the relationship between online advertising and purchase intention, while consumer trust mediated the relationships between content marketing, SEO, and purchase intention. These findings underscore the critical roles of engagement and trust in digital marketing effectiveness within an emerging market context. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from Nigeria’s tech start-up ecosystem and offers a comprehensive moderated mediation model. Practically, it recommends that Nigerian tech start-ups adopt integrated digital strategies emphasizing interactive engagement and trust-building to enhance consumer purchase intentions and gain competitive advantage.

Digital marketing strategies; Consumer purchase intention; Social media marketing; Influencer marketing; Consumer trust; Social media engagement; Nigerian tech start-ups

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