Comprehensive Analysis of Social Media in Business: Research Report

This reflective report delves into the advantages and disadvantages of social media within a business context, highlighting its significance in modern operations. The report begins with an introduction that establishes the role of social media in facilitating data sharing and raising brand awareness. It then explores various social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, emphasizing their potential for building customer relationships and expanding market reach. The report also identifies key advantages such as cost-effectiveness, improved brand loyalty, and enhanced marketing opportunities. Conversely, it addresses the disadvantages, including time intensiveness, copyright concerns, and the potential for negative feedback. The report also outlines the research methodology employed to investigate these factors, covering both qualitative and quantitative methods, along with sampling techniques and data collection methods. The conclusion reiterates the importance of social media in enhancing organizational productivity and the value of a robust research methodology in achieving research objectives. This report is a valuable resource for students and professionals seeking to understand the multifaceted impact of social media on business.

Running Head: BUSINESS RESEARCH
Business Research

BUSINESS RESEARCH
Introduction
This reflective report discusses the advantages of social media in the business. It also presents
the disadvantages of social media in business operation. In addition, it also demonstrates the
research methodology that will support to identify the tools and techniques to complete the
research objectives.
I increased my knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of the social network in
the business. In addition to this, I also created my consciousness about social media. The
social media is computer-mediated technology that enabled the organization to share their
data among the customers to spread the awareness regarding product and services of the
company (Alberts, et al., 2015).
I learned that social media plays an imperative role for business. There are different types of
social media sources that are used by the organization named Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest,
Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and e-mail. At the same time, it can also be said that the
understanding about such sources can be effective to improve my knowledge and also
supports to make a connection with a large number of people. It will also support to make a
robust relationship with people in long-run. I also gained my knowledge about project scope
that enabled me to determine the pros and cons of social media in the business. It will be also
supportive to manage the risk in future regarding the social media (Bajdor, et al., 2014).
In addition to this, I learned about the project objectives where I create my knowledge about
the implementation of social media in business operation. Along with this, it can also be said
that I learned about many factors that show that the positive impact of social media on the
business named covers a large number of audience, less expensive, improve brand loyalty,
and decline the marketing cost. I also gained my knowledge about some additional factors
demonstrates the pros of social media such as improve the sales of the organization, increase
the ranking of the search engine, consumer engagement, simply access in the international
2

BUSINESS RESEARCH
market, customer feedback, market research about the consumers, and improved marketing
opportunities (Burns, et al., 2016).
At the same time, it can also be said that depth understanding about the social media can help
to imply the social media in business operation in the upcoming period. I also increased my
understanding about disadvantages of the social media in the business operation. There are
different components that demonstrate that social media can negative impact on the business
such as social media is time intensive, copyright problems, security problems, and negative
feedback. At the same time, I also learned that lack of marketing and social tools strategy,
required more resources to deal with online customers, lack of control on daily basis, leakage
of confidential data, hacking, and offensive feedback (Kasemsap, 2014).
In addition to this, it can also be said that knowledge regarding negative factor of social
media can also support to control the future risk in a systematic manner. Furthermore, it can
also be said that the social media can be an effective source to easily influence the customers
and easily aware the consumer about products and services in less time and cost. Along with
this, I gained my knowledge about the research questions and hypothesis that will be required
to accomplish research task in an appropriate manner. I increased my knowledge about the
two types of question such as primary and secondary research questions. In addition to this, it
can also be said that the research methodology plays an imperative role to identify the
suitable tools and techniques to determine the advantages and disadvantages of social media
in a business operation (Lin-Hi, et al., 2013).
Along with this, it can also be said that I learned about the both research method named
quantitative and qualitative method. The qualitative research is used to develop the
theoretical understanding of the research topic in a systematic manner. In addition to this, the
quantitative research can be significant to present the numeric data in a systematic way.
Along with this, it can be said that I also enhanced my knowledge about reliability and
3

BUSINESS RESEARCH
validity of the research. I also gained my knowledge about the deductive approach that was
appropriate for research in case the research is objective in nature. Along with this, I also
learned that the deductive approach is used to prove and reject the hypothesis to obtain the
positive outcome in an appropriate manner (Mackey, et al., 2015).
I also learned about the probability sampling method that will be used in case of research
dilemma is based on the subjective in nature. Further, the probability sampling method
provides an equal chance to the candidates who participate in the research for reacting on a
survey through a questionnaire. I also learned that the probability sampling method includes
random sampling method to perform the research systematically (Zhao, et al., 2014). In
oppose to this, I also created my consciousness about non-probability sampling method. I
increased my knowledge about the data collection methods named primary and secondary
data collection methods such as primary data collection and secondary data collection
method. In addition to this, it can also be said that the primary data collection methods can
play an imperative role in collecting the fresh data regarding the research issue (Schaltegger
and Wagner, 2017).
There are some sources such as interview, observation and questionnaire method to collect
the data systematically. Beside this, I also created my knowledge about the secondary data
collection method sources such as an academic journal, balance sheet of company, annual
report of organization, books, magazines, and online and offline websites. I also created
depth knowledge about secondary data collection methods. At the same time, I learned about
the data analysis method that will be supportive to boost my research skills in the upcoming
period. In addition to this, it can also be said that I also learned about research limitation that
will support to accurately perform the research (Swann, 2014).
I understood that time, cost, and lack of resources can direct impact on the research to meet
the goal in an appropriate manner. In addition to this, it can also be said that the time
4

BUSINESS RESEARCH
schedule can influence the research. Moreover, time schedule can support to best knowledge
about the time frame to perform any research and meet the task in specified time and cost. At
the same time, it can also be said that I gained my knowledge about the research as well as
social media that can support to improve my personal and professional life in the upcoming
period. In additionally, depth understanding regarding the social media can be supportive for
me to utilize the social media tools in the business operation that will increase the
productivity and financial performance of an organization (Taneja, et al., 2014).
Conclusion
From the above conclusion, it can be concluded that the social media can be effective to
improve the productivity of an organization in long-term. In addition, it can also be
summarized that the research methodology plays an imperative role to identify appropriate
techniques to perform the research activity and accomplish research objectives.
5

BUSINESS RESEARCH
References
Alberts, J. K., Nakayama, T. K., and Martin, J. N. (2015) ‘Human communication in society’,
USA: Pearson.
Bajdor, P., and Grabara, I. (2014) ‘The Role of Information System Flows in Fulfilling
Customers’ Individual Orders’, Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 7(2), P.7.
Burns, L. D., Mullet, K. K., and Bryant, N. O. (2016) ‘The business of fashion: Designing,
manufacturing, and marketing’, USA: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Kasemsap, K. (2014) ‘The role of social networking in global business
environments,’ Impact of emerging digital technologies on leadership in global business,
UK: Routledge.
Lin-Hi, N., and Müller, K. (2013) ‘The CSR bottom line: Preventing corporate social
irresponsibility,’ Journal of Business Research, 66(10), pp. 1928-1936.
Mackey, A., and Gass, S. M. (2015) ‘Second language research: Methodology and
design,’UK: Routledge.
Schaltegger, S., and Wagner, M. (2017) ‘Managing the business case for sustainability: The
integration of social, environmental and economic performance’, UK: Routledge.
Swann, P. (2014) ‘Cases in public relations management: The rise of social media and
activism,’ UK: Routledge.
Taneja, S., and Toombs, L. (2014) ‘Putting a face on small businesses: Visibility, viability,
and sustainability the impact of social media on small business marketing’, Academy of
Marketing Studies Journal, 18(1), 249.
Zhao, J. L., Fan, S., and Hu, D. (2014) ‘Business challenges and research directions of
management analytics in the big data era,’ Journal of Management Analytics, 1(3), pp. 169-
174.
6