Impact of Social Media Marketing Analysis 2022

Running head: DISSERTATION
Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Behaviour: A Case Study of NEXT, UK
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1DISSERTATION
Acknowledgment
Thank you to all of those who have helped listened and encouraged me throughout this study.
I am indebted to my supervisor ......................... whose guidance, advice and patience
have been immeasurable. My sincere thanks to all members of the............... [Mention your
university/college name], both staff and students, whose continuous support have made this
thesis possible.
I would like to thank all of the participants in the study: students, teachers and Local
Education Authorities, for the time and help given throughout. Without their participation,
this research would not have been possible. In this context, I am also thankful to them, whose
research work helped me to execute this paper well.
Finally, I thank my family, without whom this thesis would not have been started or
completed! Your encouragement and support have never faltered; thank you.

2DISSERTATION
Abstract
Social media marketing is relatively a new type of marketing strategy that has
emerged over the past few years and has overtaken the traditional marketing strategy
significantly. Social media marketing is a rapidly growing form of marketing strategy around
the globe. The business organizations, regardless of the size are opting for social media
marketing techniques because of the various advantages it has to offer, both for the
companies and the consumers. The companies are able to reach the target audiences more
effectively that helps in influencing the behaviour of the consumers.
UK is a country of diversified population that signifies population with varied
consumer characteristics due to the individual nature. However, in spite of the consumer
diversity, the population of the country indicates considerable similarity in specific aspects
such as consumer behaviour. The relationship between social media marketing and consumer
behaviour is influenced by different factors such as technology, platforms used and the
purchase intentions of the consumers in the UK. All the three factors are found to the equally
significant when it comes to the impact on social media marketing. Technology has
facilitated the rise of social media marketing among the business organizations because with
it, both the parties are able to interact and communicate with each other smoothly. Similarly,
the platforms to be used also need to be selected accordingly because the platforms used have
to be preferred by the consumers. Hence, the consumers get better view of the products and
the services of the desired organization and increase sales and profit. Using the platforms
those are highly used and preferred by the target consumer’s influence the purchase
intentions of the customers accordingly.
In the conclusion, the three factors influencing social media marketing, as stated in
the above section, contributes largely towards the buying behaviour of the UK consumers.

3DISSERTATION
The business organizations need to consider these factors while selling to the consumers in
order to gain competitive advantage. Hence, the current research also shows the path for the
future researchers through suitable recommendations.
Keywords: Social media marketing, consumer behaviour, purchase intentions,
technology, platforms used

4DISSERTATION
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................9
1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................9
1.2 Research aim..................................................................................................................11
1.3 Research objectives........................................................................................................11
1.4 Research questions.........................................................................................................11
1.5 Research rationale..........................................................................................................11
1.6 Structure of the dissertation...........................................................................................12
1.7 Summary........................................................................................................................14
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................................................15
2.0 Overview........................................................................................................................15
2.1 Consumer behaviour......................................................................................................15
2.3 Impact of social media marketing on consumer behaviour...........................................15
2.4 Benefits of using social media marketing......................................................................16
2.5 Challenges of using social media marketing..................................................................18
2.6 Techniques of overcoming social media marketing issues............................................19
2.7 Social media marketing tools.........................................................................................20
2.8 Factors affecting social media marketing......................................................................21
2.8.1 Technology..............................................................................................................21
2.8.2 Platforms used for social media marketing.............................................................24

5DISSERTATION
2.8.3 Purchase intention...................................................................................................26
2.9 Conceptual framework...................................................................................................27
2.10 Summary......................................................................................................................29
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................30
3.0 Overview........................................................................................................................30
3.1 Research philosophy......................................................................................................31
3.1.1 Positivism................................................................................................................31
3.1.2 Realism....................................................................................................................32
3.1.3 Interpretivism..........................................................................................................32
3.1.4 Chosen research philosophy....................................................................................32
3.2 Research logic................................................................................................................33
3.2.1 Deductive approach.................................................................................................33
3.2.2 Inductive approach..................................................................................................33
3.2.3 Abductive approach................................................................................................33
3.2.4 Chosen research logic.............................................................................................33
3.3 Research methods...........................................................................................................34
3.3.1 Chosen research method.........................................................................................35
3.4 Data collection...............................................................................................................35
3.5 Research sample.............................................................................................................36
3.6 Data analysis..................................................................................................................37
3.7 Ethical considerations....................................................................................................38

6DISSERTATION
3.8 Validity and reliability...................................................................................................38
3.9 Limitations.....................................................................................................................39
3.10 Summary......................................................................................................................39
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS...........................................................................................40
4.1 The Survey Procedure....................................................................................................40
4.2 Descriptive Analysis......................................................................................................41
4.2.1 Consumer characteristics........................................................................................41
4.2.2 Technology..............................................................................................................44
4.2.3 Platforms used.........................................................................................................45
4.2.4 Purchase intentions..................................................................................................46
4.2.5 Social media marketing...........................................................................................48
4.3 Descriptive statistics.......................................................................................................49
4.4 Correlation analysis........................................................................................................50
4.5 Regression analysis........................................................................................................52
4.5.1 Technology and social media marketing.................................................................53
4.5.2 Platforms used and social media marketing............................................................54
4.5.3 Purchase intentions and social media marketing....................................................55
4.6 Summary........................................................................................................................56
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION...................................................................................................57
Technology...........................................................................................................................57
Platforms used......................................................................................................................60

7DISSERTATION
Purchase intentions...............................................................................................................62
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION.................................................................................................65
6.1 Objectives of findings....................................................................................................65
6.2 Significance of study......................................................................................................66
6.3 Recommendations of future research.............................................................................67
6.4 Summary of this chapter................................................................................................68
References................................................................................................................................69
Appendices...............................................................................................................................81
Appendix A: Survey questionnaire......................................................................................81
Appendix B: Survey responses............................................................................................85
Appendix C: Statistical Analysis.........................................................................................90
Appendix D: Correlation analysis........................................................................................99
Appendix E: Descriptive Analysis (Skewness and Kurtosis)............................................100