Research Proposal - social media marketing PDF

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Effects of Social Media Marketing on Start Up BusinessesChapter 1: Introduction1 Background of the Study The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the...

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Effects of Social Media Marketing on Start Up Businesses

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

The internet has completely revolutionised that way people interact be it individuals or companies. These new technological trends have led to a strong reliance on the internet for all activities which has revolutionised the business world. Social media refers to an array of platforms that allow individuals and companies to upload and provide content or to network with people. There has been an increased amount of platforms emerging due to the popularity of social media which has also led to several opportunities for new businesses (Db,2017).

Several years ago, startups faced gruelling challenging in regards to marketing, without a heavy budget it was very difficult to position a new brand in heavily competitive industries. It was very time consuming, involved a lot of risk and required a very high budget. Today, with all the technological advancements, this has completely changed. Companies now only require a marketing vision and a unique selling point and can easily be positioned with the use of social media and this has further encouraged the emergence of more start ups around the world. Social media presence has become indispensable to a company’s marketing strategy as the internet has become the number one source of information for consumers (Cloudways,2018). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

Social media marketing has become a go to strategy to position a new brand and target a specific market in the least time consuming and most affordable way which is why social media is primarily valuable for start ups (Cloudways,2018).

1.2 Problem Statement In the current business environment, competition is undeniable and power has shifted from the sellers to the buyers. Consumers now have a vast array of alternatives to choose from which has given them strong purchasing power. For this reason, marketing has become increasingly valuable for companies to differentiate themselves and remain competitive in the market. Start ups face this challenge even more as they do not usually have the financial or human capital to position

themselves amongst already established brands and this is the reason why social media marketing is becoming an a very attractive option (DB,2017). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

Despite that, several entrepreneurs are still afraid to entertain their business ideas due to their fear of the competitive environment and an inability to believe that social media can allow them to position themselves and present their unique selling point (Cloudways,2018).

For this reason, it is crucial for entrepreneurs to understand the power of social media marketing and the potential benefits it could have for start ups as a way to encourage these new ventures.

1.3 Study Objectives The objective of this research is to understand and determine the impacts of social media marketing on start up companies by looking at three different potential effects.

The objectives are:

1. To determine the effect of social media marketing on brand awareness for start ups 2. To determine the impact of social media marketing on brand image for start ups 3. To determine the effect of social media marketing on brand loyalty for start ups.

1.4 Study Questions

The study questions of this research paper aim to determine the effects on the three dependent variables mentioned above: The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

1. Does social media marketing impact brand awareness for start ups? 4. Does social media marketing impact brand image for start ups? 5. Does social media marketing impact brand loyalty for start ups? The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

1.5 Hypotheses

The hypotheses for the study questions above are:

1. Social media marketing has positively impacts brand awareness for start ups. 2. Social media marketing has a risky impact on brand image for start ups. 3. Social media marketing has a positive impact on brand loyalty for start ups.

1.6 Significance of the Study This study focuses on a type of business that has had very little research available. Most studies on social media focus on the impacts and repercussions it has on large multinationals and the ways they have integrated these initiatives into their marketing strategies. However, very little research is available in regards to start ups and the encouraging effects of social media. For this reason, this research paper is very significant as it will allow entrepreneurs to gain insights on the impacts of social media marketing on several different aspects for start ups which should act as a framework and serve to encourage new start ups which can not only benefit entrepreneurs but also the economy as a whole.

Despite heavy talks about social media platforms, people are yet to understand its value in regards to marketing which is why this study will be able to promote this idea and demonstrate real life effects on start ups.

1.7 Theoretical Framework

The study will consider consumer behavioural theories to identify the relationship between

social media marketing and the impacts on the dependent variables. The figure presented below shows the theoretical framework of the study and the relationships that will be investigated between the independent variable which is social media marketing and the three dependent variables.

1.8 Study Organisation The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

The organisation of the study will consist of three parts. The first section introduces the study with information on the significance of the study, the aims and the questions the study aims to answer and the entire scope of the research. The next section will cover the literature review which will provide background information on the study to help readers understand the growth of social media marketing in order to further encourage the significance of the study, it will also provide information gathered from previous publications looking at the effects of social media marketing on the three dependent variables, brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. The third section

will detail the context of the methodology as well as justifications on all the choices made in regards to the research process from the sampling method to the population chosen.

1.9 Chapter Summary The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

This chapter overseas the study and the context of the topic and the current problem statement. It introduces the topic and stresses the importance and value of this research paper which aims to fill a gap in the current available research. It provides information on the scope of the study which includes the objectives and hypotheses which will serve as the basis of the research paper.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Social Media Marketing Social Media has undeniable become a crucial topic in all businesses, consumers are shifting towards the online world which is forcing companies to do the same. There have been several studies which have shown this exponential growth of social media which has completely revolutionised the marketing industry. A study by Suja P Mathews and suns George highlights both the previous growth and the future of social media which helps set the context of this study. In recent years, there have been several social networking platforms which have seen immense popularity such as Whatsapp, Google Plus, Instagram and Snapchat, these platforms have seen an immense rise in active users which has directly affected society and businesses. The study explains that social media websites have moved from a niche to a mass online activity that affects the entire online community. There has been an increased dependence on technology which has further pushed the growth and success of social media ( Mathews,.2013).

The study determined that about 93% of marketers currently use social media for their organisations which suggests that several people are involved in managing the social media strategies and has become an integral part of all marketing plans. Research showed that the next years will being to social media in regards to marketing trends. It will continue to grow and present itself as the main medium for marketing especially considering the growth of smart phones and people’s reliance on them. Social media platforms are being used to gather analytical information,

perform market research and market products and services. Studies have shown that social media marketing has allowed businesses to develop relevant content for individuals and niche targets and allows them to build relationships that can not be made with other marketing mediums (Mathews,2013). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

Further research and statistics have shown that the recent years have shown the biggest shifts in marketing strategies all of which have been centered on online initiatives and the use of social media platforms. Social media marketing has become one of the most significant digital marketing strategies used in the current business environment.Initially, it was a technique that was limited to B2C companies has now grown to include all industries and business models. According to research presented, the main contributing factors to the growth of social media marketing is its simplicity, affordability and accessibility which has made it an ideal medium (DB,2017)

2.2 Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Awareness Brand awareness is undeniably one of the main objectives of companies especially when they are new to highly competitive industries. The potential effect of social media marketing on brand awareness has been studied for different contexts and industries. A study by Hansel Bagus Tritama looks at the value of social media in developing brand awareness of a product. Brand awareness is the ability of potential customers to recognise and remember a product or brand as part of a specific product group (Tritama,2016). Through quantitative surveys, the study determined that there is a strong relationship between social media presence and brand awareness as social media helps expose the brand or company to the public in platforms with millions of active users. The study concluded that social media marketing is crucial to all companies in regards to developing brand awareness through increased exposure (Tritama,2016); The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

Another study looked at the impacts of social media marketing onboard awareness with a focus on Facebook as the marketing platform. The research by Hana Othman ElAydi published in 2018 stresses the increase in social media use and how it is altering the ways companies operate. Consumers are becoming very reliant on social media which is why companies are forced to shift towards this trend. The study determined that social media marketing companies usually use 6 dimensions as instruments for marketing strategies. These are online communities, interaction, sharing of content, accessibility and credibility. The study also considers demographic factors as

having moderating roles in the correlation between social media presence and brand awareness. The study found a strong, significant correlation between Facebook social media marketing and brand awareness especially amongst mobile consumers. It found out that all dimensions have a strong effect on brand awareness apart from online communities. It also determined that age and gender moderate this correlation between social media marketing and brand awareness, it showed that age can improve the relationship between online communities and brand awareness. It found that younger age groups had more trust in other peoples reviews online which intensified the impact of social media (ElAydi,2018). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

2.3 Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Image The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

There is very little research available on the impacts of social media marketing activities on brand image which is troubling as there is a lot of contradictions from company case studies. One study by Nisha Jayasuriya published in 2018 focuses on this relationship within the retail industry. The study determined that social media marketing has an increasingly significant impact on the company’s image and brand equity. A company’s presence online reflects their values and ideals and therefore shapes the perception of customers. Consumers build emotional connections with brands through their social media pages which then helps shape the brand image. The study also determined that companies share content that provides insight about way more than the company’s product offerings, it allows consumers to learn more about their values, mission and corporate social responsibility which then directly impacts brand image. The study concluded that social media affects different dimensions of brand equity including perceived quality, perceived value and brand associations all of which directly impact brand image (Jayasuriya,2018). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

Another study by Igor Stojanovic looks at the impacts of the intensity of social media usage on brand equity. The study also confirmed a positive relationship between the intensity of social media use on brand equity. The study determined that the information that consumers receive through social media leads to changes in their perception which reflects on the brand image of a company. The study also found that this can be either positive or negative for organisations, the same way that positive social media can enhance brand image exponentially, negative social media can lead to a rapid drop in a company’s brand image which is why this relationship is considered to be quite risky as companies must be very careful in regards to the content they provide online and how it will be perceived by the public (Stojanovic,2016)

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2.4 Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Loyalty

Building and ensuring constant brand loyalty has become a priority for most companies nowadays due to the increased power of buyers due to the growth in competition. Several studies have looked at the potential effects of social media marketing on brand loyalty. A study by Irem Eren Erdogmus in 2012 stresses the current increased use of social media marketing as a strategy to retain customers and build customer loyalty. The study focuses on the Turkish industry and generated quantitative data to determine the correlation between the two variables. The study showed that consumer brand loyalty is positively impacted by social media marketing on 4 dimensions. These dimensions include offering advantageous campaigns, offering relevant content, offering popular content and appearing on different social media platforms. All of these dimensions directly impact the level of brand loyalty. The study concluded that it was crucial for companies to understand the benefits and values they offer through their social media campaigns in order to optimise the potential benefits they can achieve which will then encourage brand loyalty. It also determined that the amount of platforms used by companies online also positively impacts potential brand loyalty as certain platforms are on trend at certain times and companies must understand these trends and focus on those specific platforms (Erdogmus,2012).

Another study by Renuka Pushpanjalee Herath looks at the effects of social media marketing on brand loyalty with a focus on the tourism industry. The study determined that four benefit factors positively influence brand loyalty, these are functional, hedonic, social and psychological benefits. All of these different benefits affect the correlation between social media and consumer loyalty all of which are directly related to multiple consumer needs. The study determined that it was crucial for companies to understand their consumers before developing social media strategies in order to optimise brand loyalty (Herath,2017). The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the The the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the

2.5 Chapter Summary

This chapter provides very valuable background information on the growth and future of social media marketing. This serves to provide significance to the study due to the proof of the importance of social media and research that shows that it will become indispensable to companies in the future. It also serves to set the scene of the study and guide readers through the research. The previous publications described look at the various relationships between social media marketing

for startups and the three dependent variables which are brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. These previous studies were used to develop hypotheses for the study but also aimed at highlighting the cu...