Social media has quietly become the first stop for many consumers before they buy almost anything, and this shift is no longer confined to India’s metro cities. This paper examines how social media exposure and trust in social media-based information (electronic word-of-mouth, or eWOM) shape purchase intention among consumers in Belagavi and four other Tier-2 cities of Karnataka Hubballi-Dharwad, Davanagere, Shivamogga, and Ballari. Using a structured questionnaire administered to 350 respondents and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation, multiple regression, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA), the study finds that both social media exposure and perceived trust in social media content are significantly and positively associated with purchase intention, with trust emerging as the stronger predictor. Purchase intention did not differ significantly by gender but did vary significantly across income groups. The findings extend the Technology Acceptance Model and source-credibility literature to a Tier-2 Indian setting and offer practical direction for brands and marketers seeking to engage consumers beyond the metros. The paper closes with managerial implications, limitations, and directions for future research.