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1.INTRODUCTIONSocial media has enabled companies and corporations to interact successfully with their customers, as well as customers to communicate effectively amongst themselves as consumers and friends sharing and exchanging information. Due to the high usage of a wide variety of social media platforms, this common cycle of information sharing is magnified greatly1. The goal of this research study is to better understand the adoption of social media platforms among internet users via the application of theories such as Diffusion and Innovation and the Use and Gratification theory. The time spent by individuals online on their daily activities, is expected to significantly increase over time as billions of people continue crowding into these social media platforms and adopting them as their reliable mode of online communication2. This significant change is largely attributed by the self-sustaining nature of social media3. The present research on social media that are available are restricted in their scope. For instance, some studies dwell on the investigations of social media characteristics such as its usability and sociability with regards to the usage and adoption of this medium but are unable to clarify the factors leading to individuals to move into these social media platforms4, 5. Therefore, there is a requirement to reach those areas which are unexplored about social media consumption and would assist in justifying the substantial increase in time spent by individuals on social media6. As opined by Shao7, User-Generated Media (UGM) such as Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia and Myspace have tremendously become so popular nowadays but in-depth investigations on this medium are still lacking relatively. 2.LITERATURE REVIEWSocial media is a term used to designate a variety of internet-based applications which are built on technical and ideological Web 2.0 foundations that permit the creation and exchange of user provided content8. Social media involves use of numerous sources of online content that is created, spread and used by end-users to inform each other about brands, services and products that are accessible in the marketplace9. Social media networks nowadays include QQ, Tik Tok, and Facebook. Social networking sites are efficient, and the fact that they are free to use more often than not makes them economic. The behaviors of social network users refer to the willingness of social media users to adopt the social network services based on technology, their social influence, social network, self-demand, and the total related numerous activities. The typical behaviors of social media users on social networks encompass content consumption, content creation behavior and general usage behavior10. Several scholars have highlighted on social media platforms adoption that it is largely contributed by a variety of social media requirements which involve information seeking, social information, entertainment, interpersonal utility, pass time, relaxation, convenience11, 12, cognitive factors, unique factors, news, search factors 13, peer identity, coolness, sounds, division entertainment, good feelings, communication, career, sights, keeping informed14, convenience, social interaction15 pass time, news quizzes, escapism, surveillance and habit16. In asserting consumer willingness and consumer adoption behavior of social media choice, consumer attitude towards social media selection needs to be critically analyzed17, 18. As stipulated by the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), humans choose specific social media to gratify their needs and ascertain their doing by justifying the validity that different individuals use the similar media type for different purposes19. People will utilize social media platforms that satisfy their requirements and result in long-term gratifications. The uses and gratifications theory entails that individuals will adopt a social media platform that fulfills their needs and leads to ultimate gratifications20. Several researches have shown that the uses and gratifications are the key predictors of media adoption and use21, 22. Social media is thought of as a means of communicating and interacting with many people from all over the globe23. Social media is used to connect and communicate with people in accordance with the literature on gratifications and uses23. This theme is derived from15 investigation on social interaction motivation and web site duration. Specifically, their measuring scale items included “meeting the interests of the individuals I encounter” and “keeping up with the latest happenings”. In addition to the social use and gratifications, scholars have identified a category of other purposes and satisfactions. Similar constructs in the literature are social motivation24, interpersonal utility11, and companionship22. The term social interaction is narrower than interpersonal utility but broader than companionship23. Social media platforms are also being utilised for convenience purposes23.11 had a construct called convenience for internet uses and15 had a convenience motivation factor for interactive advertising.24 also had the word convenience in some of their scale items such as “enjoy the convenience of shopping on the web”23. As such, the social media platforms such as QQ and Tik-Tok are also used for convenience purposes. The characteristics of innovation serve as a significant influence in people’s decisions to adopt a technology. DIT predicts that the media and interpersonal contacts provide influence and information to consumer behavior25. Based on the above literature, the following model has been constructed in Figure 1: Figure 1 describes the conceptual model that governed the study. The conceptual framework informed the research hypothesis that guided the study. 3.PROPOSED HYPOTHESESHypothesis 1: Social media needs have a positive effect on social media adoption. Hypothesis 2: Uses and gratifications have a positive effect on social media adoption. Hypothesis 3: Social media technology has a positive effect on social media adoption. 4.RESEARCH METHODOLOGYIn this study, quantitative methods were used to gather primary data. A Quantitative was chosen due to it being the most acceptable in formulating many variables’ indirect and direct connections26. A survey technique was utilised in this study, using self-administered questionnaires, which were distributed carefully among the respondents. The participants of the study were randomly selected based on their likelihood of utilizing social media platforms like Tik Tok and QQ. Independent variables of this study include social media needs, uses and gratifications and social media technology. Social media adoption is regarded as the dependent variable. Previous study’s measurement items informed this study’s questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25). A reliability coefficient of test items was estimated using SPSS using of Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.90. The study further adopted the AMOS version 20 for ascertaining Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) of the dependent and independent variables of the study using all the measurement items of this study. A Structural Model was also used for a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), which then validated the internal consistency of the measurement items of this study. The Model also produced the results of hypothesis testing, which concurred with the proposed variables of the study. 5.REGRESSION MODELThis research sought to investigate the adoption behaviour of social media platforms considering the social media needs, uses and gratifications, and social media technology. As such, a model was constructed to depict the relationship between independent and dependent variables of this study. The model is illustrated as follows: In this equation, the mathematical model was extended into a linear connection such as follows: 6.DATA ANALYSIS RESULTSThe background information of respondents was briefly discussed in Tables 1, 2 and Figure 2. The remaining paragraphs explains the stance of respondents in detail. Table 1.Gender of participants.
Table 2.Age of participants.
Table 1 indicated that out of 281 respondents, 134 (47.7%) were males, while 147 (52.3%) were females. Indicating female dominance in the study. Information in Table 2 further reveals that 104 (37%) respondents were below 21 years, 100 (35.6%) were in the age category of 21 to 25 years, while 77 (27.4%) had ages between 26 and 30 years. Figure 2 also describes the level of education of respondents. This has been described in the remaining paragraphs. Concerning the level of education, Figure 2 revealed that 66 (23.5%) respondents had completed High School, 59 (21%) had attained Diplomas degrees, while 153 (54.4%) were holding Bachelor’s Degrees, whereas 3 (1.1%) had attained Master’s Degrees. 7.RELIABILITY ANALYSISA reliability analysis was conducted on Cronbach’s alpha in order to determine the reliability of the measurement constructs of this study. The results indicate that all values of the internal consistency are reliable and acceptable. The values, which were obtained, ranged between 0.875 and 0.964. A recommendable alpha27 should at least exceed 0.70 for an acceptable internal consistency. Table 3 revealed that social media needs accounted for 0.875, while uses and gratifications recorded 0.964. Social media technology attained 0.912, while social media adoption accounted for 0.940. There were 5 items per each construct. This indicates that all the items were reliable and acceptable. Table 3.Reliability analysis on Cronbach’s Alpha.
8.CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSISA confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then performed using AMOS version 20 to determine the validity of the measurement constructs. This was accomplished by developing a structural model that included all measurement elements. The loadings of all factors were between 0.70 and 0.95. The following (Table 4) construct variables are considered legitimate and acceptable in this study. Table 4.Variables, items, and factor loadings.
9.STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELThen, using AMOS Version 20, a structural equation model (SEM) was built in Figure 3. The model obtained an acceptable fitness level, giving the value of Chi-square = 416.963, Degrees of freedom = 164, GFI = 0.873, AGFI = 0.837, TLI = 0.939, CFI = 0.947, RMSEA = 0.074. Figure 3.Structural equation model (Source: Current research) (UG = Uses and Gratifications; SMA = Social Media Adoption; SMN = Social Media Needs; SMT = Social Media Technology).  Table 5 indicates that all the proposed hypotheses of this study are proven significant. Table 5.Regression weights: (Group number 1—Default model): Significant at: < 0.05.
Source: Current Research. 10.RESULTS DISCUSSIONAll of the factors suggested in this research are found to be significant based on the results of SEM. The idea of uses and gratification has a beneficial impact on the adoption of social media: (standardized estimates = 0.126, t = 2.667, p < 0.05). Additionally, the results suggest that having a social media need positively affects social media adoption (standardized estimates = 0.179, t – value = 1.980, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the findings indicate that social media technology has a beneficial impact on social media adoption (standard estimates = 0.066, t – value = 0.917, p 0.05). Consumers utilize and enjoy social media sites for a variety of reasons. Many customers increasingly rely on social networking sites as their main source of information for need identification, information search, alternative assessment, and making real buy choices, as well as providing information about the post-purchase experience. Individuals will embrace a social media platform that satisfies their requirements and leads to ultimate gratifications, according to the uses and gratifications hypothesis. 11.CONCLUSIONThis study has examined the behaviour profile on social media platforms. As a new novelty, this study has specifically evaluated the adoption behaviour of Tik Tok and QQ, while at the same time making comparison between TikTok and QQ in terms of active user profile. By adopting this form of approach, the marketers shall be able to make informed decisions when choosing the social media platforms to utilize when advertising their products. The adoption of social media platforms is attributed to a wide range of factors, such as the uses and gratifications, social media needs and social media technology. As such, these characteristics were considered independent variables in this research, while social media use was considered a dependent variable. This study used a quantitative method. A questionnaire survey was used to collect primary data. The survey used self-administered questions that were delivered to the study’s target population. The participants in this study were chosen at random based on their proclivity for utilizing Tik Tok and QQ. Based on the findings of this study, uses and gratifications, social media needs, and social media technology have a positive effect on social media adoption. This study was only limited to Tik Tok and QQ. As such, researchers should investigate a wide range of factors influencing the adoption of different types of social media platforms. ReferencesMangold, W. G. and Faulds, D. J.,
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