Impact of Social Media on Consumer Choices: Research Project Report

This research project delves into the significant impact of social media on consumer behavior, exploring how online platforms influence purchasing decisions. The study begins with an introduction to the topic, emphasizing the role of social media in modern communication and its influence on consumer choices. Task 1 outlines the research project specifications, including the project's objectives, factors contributing to topic selection, and a critical review of key references. The project aims to understand how social media affects consumer buying behavior and decision-making processes. Task 2 details the resources needed, research investigation methods, and data collection procedures, including a questionnaire methodology and thematic analysis. Task 3 focuses on appropriate research evaluation techniques and the interpretation and analysis of the research study, leading to recommendations for future research and practical applications. Finally, Task 4 explores how research findings can be disseminated through media to various audiences. The report also includes a conclusion, references, and an appendix, providing a comprehensive analysis of the topic.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
RESEARCH PROJECT...................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK1 ............................................................................................................................................3
1.1) Possible research project outline specifications...................................................................3
1.2)Factors that contributes in the process of research project selection....................................4
1.3) Critical review of the key references...................................................................................5
1.4) Research project specifications............................................................................................5
1.5) Plan and the procedures for the research.............................................................................6
TASK2.............................................................................................................................................7
2.1)Resources required for the carrying out research and its relation between research
questions and hypothesis.............................................................................................................7
2.2) Research investigation.........................................................................................................8
2.3) Record and allocate relevant data where appropriate..........................................................8
TASK3...........................................................................................................................................13
3.1)Appropriate research evaluation techniques.......................................................................13
3.2) Interpretation and analysis of the research study ..............................................................14
3.3)Recommendations...............................................................................................................15
TASK4...........................................................................................................................................15
4.1) Recommendations and result of the research study through media to convey it to the
audiences...................................................................................................................................15
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17
Books and Journal.....................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................18

INTRODUCTION
Now a days social media is playing a very important role in as a communication tool
which is very commonly used by the organisations to get connected with the people of the
society. To share the experiences, ideas, thoughts and information people or the organisations
uses this technique. Many a times these information share on the social media influence the
decision making process of the consumers (Bell., 2014). There are many people who follow
social media as the source to gather the information related to the products and the services of
the organisation, as because this media is an advertisement tool. Consumer behaviour is the study
of the processes that is been used by a person or group of people at the time of buying process
which will fulfil the needs and the wants of the customers.
In this report the study related to, the impact of social media on the choices of the
customers. The way consumer take decision of buying the products and the services with the
impact of the social media.
TASK1
1.1) Possible research project outline specifications.
Overview
The social media plays a big role in the consumer buying behaviour and the choosing
criteria of the products and services of the different organisations. The main objective of the
research study is to understand the factors of social media that in which manner impact upon the
consumers buying behaviour as well as the decision making process of the. The social media
focuses of the delivering of the messages and informations that the organisation wants to convey
as a message to the society. The organisation who so ever is dealing in the products and the
services which is totally based on the customer therefore the firm will try to connect with the
people through various modes. Company will be able to sustain in market and attain competitive
advantage as compare to their rivals. There are many social networking sites such as Facebook,
twitter, LinkedIn and so on. People will be able to avail services through this, and more products
and services can be availed by them.

1.2)Factors that contributes in the process of research project selection
There are many factors that will help or put their contribution in the process of research
project selection. As we are doing the research on the customers choice's impact by the social
media then following are few criteria with which the organisation can get help in carrying out
effective research.
 Interest in research topic- At present era the customers are very much indulged in
availed products and services online basis. So social media plays a very important role
for an organisation. The selection of this topic is due to the customer's and public's
interest is in social media is very high.
 Marketing factors- The marketing is the aspect which will help the organisation to
attract the customers towards the products and the services. What is the current product
line has the impact of the business? The most important things in marketing is to convey
the message that relates to the goods and the services of the organisation and the research
will get help because the message conveyed to the public is effectively availed by the
people play a vital role in gathering the information (Eilks and Markic., 2011).
 Financial factors- Financial factor is one of the most important factor that help the
researcher to select the project in an appropriate manner. With out the aid of finance it
become very difficult to carry out the research and will not help in the selection of the
research topic.
 Experiences- Most of the market is indulged in availing their products and services.
Gaining more and effective information can be possible for the research study. Past years
experiences it can be analysed that social media and customers are having a very strong
relation in market.
 Benefits- Choosing this specific topic is helping in attaining benefits for gathering
relevant information. Along with this this topic helped in understanding what actually
customers are in need of and what more benefits are required by them in products,
services and new technologies.
 Administrative factors- The management has the authority to accept and reject the
proposal that any of the department. The selected project's end selection is to be done by
the administrative.

 Personnel factors- This is the factor where the skills and the competency influence and
contribute in the selection of the research topic.
1.3) Critical review of the key references
According to Cross and et.al., 2010 social media has become a very vital parts in the life
of the people. There are number of social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
where the public always seems to be active. This has influence the organisation and now a days
they are doing marketing activities on these media. It also helps the organisation to interact with
the general public of the society.
According to Hughes, Gillespie and Kail 2010, the communication that is taking place
between the organisation and the consumers influence the decision making as well as the process
of their choices. Cognitive behavioural and affective attitude of the consumers get affected by
the socialisation theory of communication.
Positive impact- The buying attitudes of the consumers are more effectively influenced in online
platforms compared to the traditional promotional act by the organisation. Here the decision
making is appropriately gives a positive feedback manner. According to Hanauer and et.al., 2012
the consumers are in very frequent manner are using the social media as to search the
informations related to the products and the services of different organisations.
Negative impact – As asserted by Mihalić and Arbanas 2013, Social media affects the loyalty,
goodwill and sales of the organisation and as its result the buying behaviour of the consumers
changes according to the market trends and the way organisation is creating the awareness about
the products and the services on these media. There are number of the firms who are promoting
their products and the services on social media which affect the consumer as they get confused
by the large ranges of availability of same kind of things in many sites.
According to Palmer and et. al 2011, if an organisation choose to promote its products
and services through social media then there are chances where firm can be able to sustain in
market in more effective and appropriate manner. This will influence customers and will get
attracted towards a company.
Contrary to this Lok 2010, states that customers many time faces issues in using social
media hence they will resist its use and will not prefer this to avail goods and administration
from online or various sites. Customers want qualitative products, many believes that social

media does not present the actual things and features of any goods. Therefore they use to refuse
using products.
1.4) Research project specifications
Selection of the research topic- Consumer behaviour.
Aims
 It is the defined statement of the research that has to be carried out.
 The research will help in the long term sustainability of organisation as because the topic
will enhance the productivity and the effectiveness in the operations of the firm (McNiff.,
2016).
Objective of the research study
 The research is carried out for the expansion of the market by the organisation through
social media and the study is focusing upon the impact on customers choices.
 There are many techniques to carry out the research methodology.
 The emphasis are on the attainment of the problem's answers (O'Leary., 2013).
 The study is highly feasible to the research problem ans because the study that is carried
out is on the customers and they are the one whom the study become more difficult as
their preferences and choices changes very frequently.
In this report we will carry out certain things such as-
 Factors contributing in the research study
 How to project as research
 Plans ans the procedure to be included
 Resources required for the research study.
 Data collecting methodology.
 Research evaluating tools and the techniques.
Research question
Q1. What is social media and its uses?
Q2. What are relation between clients and social media?
Q3. What are the impact of Social media upon customers?
Research methods

 Research design- There are various research design methods which are used by
researchers so that they can carry out an effective investigation. There are different
designs like descriptive, experimental, review etc., Research approach- Inductive and deductive approaches are there that is used by
investigators one is used with believes and principle theories whereas others are used by
testing the relevancy of informations. Research philosophy- There are basically two philosophies interpretivism and
positivism. Interpretivism is all about perceptions and interpretations. Whereas positivism
is a scientific approach where quantitative study is carried out. Data collection- It is the method through which information and data can be collected.
There are two main sources primary and secondary. Sampling- Sampling is a methods which is used to collect data in most appropriate way.
There are random sampling, stratified sampling, systematic sampling these are very
helpful in collecting information.
 Data analysis- This is an approach through which researchers can be able to analyse the
information and data in correct and relevant manner. Qualitative and quantitative
methods are there. In qualitative method includes thematic analysis whereas in
quantitative approach data and information are gathered with statistical and mathematical
manner.
The proper record of what all are the things that have to be carried out in the research
and the chosen topic by the organisation as to get a proper guidelines to be followed in the
operations involved in the research study. All the related topics that the research study will cover
is been analysed in this phase.
All the factors that are involved in the process of the research project selection. The aspects
which influenced the researchers in the choosing of the research topic is be well defined. The
consumer behaviour is the way they behave at the time of availing the products and services. The
way the reaction is carried out by the consumer on buying the products is said to be as the
consumer behaviour (Tomlinson and et.al., 2010. ).
The critical analysis is carried out with the help of the key references and have focused
on the positive and the negative impact of the social media on the buying behaviour of the
customers. The way organisation promotes its activities on several sites of social media has a

great impact on the customers and with the positive delivering of the messages to the public the
enhancement of the organisation's condition as well as the effectiveness in the operations and the
products and the services has been seen as a result.
Questionnaire research methodology has been used so that relevant information can be
gathered along with that thematic analysis is carried out so that accurate information and sources
for effective research is been done.
Contribution of research
As to carry out the research lot of things are required like time and money. Time is very
much required to do the research study as meeting with customers for gathering information took
a lot of time. Along with that money has also get invested, many people's view and opinions are
emerged in performing this research study.
1.5) Plan and the procedures for the research.
Gantt chart
It is a graphical representation of which show a detail way what all activities are to be
done and time and days required for attaining and accomplishing the activities. It is very
essential for a company to plan out time and process for project completion.
Activities/
Week
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5
Identifying the
problem
Choosing the
major issue
Gathering
information
Implementing
Corrective
actions

TASK2
2.1)Resources required for the carrying out research and its relation between research questions
and hypothesis.
A) Resources required for research study.
The research study is very much important for the organisation to understand the market scenario
and the needs and wants of the customers. There are many resources with which the consumer
behaviour's research can be carried out. There are basically two kinds of the resources primary
and secondary.
Primary resources are those where the information related to the problem that has been
defined is carried out by getting into the market and are critically evaluated. The research is done
by the people doing several things like the survey studies, questionnaire and interviews.
Whereas the secondary resources are the data that is been gathered from those research
that has already be done by some one else ( Dumay., 2010.). The books, journal, references, the
newspapers etc.
 Questionnaires and surveys- These two varies from each other as the information is
carried by them are differently analysed. Survey study is a methodology which is very
short and is done in general manner where as the questionnaires are very lengthy process
and there are many questions that has to be answered by the number of people or the
sample size that is been chosen by the organisation.
 Ethnographic- it is the study of the consumers living style and the behaviour he does
while getting into any of the situation. It is very expensive and time consuming but the
data that is collected here is very much relevant to the defined research topic.
 Human resources- As to carry out the research, many people are involved as they help in
gathering information and doing plans regarding the study.
 Financial resources- As money is an important aspect, fund is very much required to
perform the activities of research. There are many areas where financial resources are
required as to frame out several questions that need to be asked by customers.

 Physical resources- As research has to be done in an effective manner tools like
electronic equipments like computers so that more information can be availed for
relevancy of data.
B)Relationship between research resources and research question
Research question is the part which the researchers have to find out while doing the act of the
research. All those questions that the research study will give an answer at the end of the study.
Research hypothesis are the pre decided outcomes by the researchers of a planned research topic.
Research resources are the sources that help the researcher to gather the information (Lok.,
2010). The primary and the secondary sources.
These two are related to each other as because research can not be performed without
them. To gather the information through the resources it is very necessary for the researcher to
define a question on which the data can be collected.
2.2) Research investigation
The research in this report is to done in such a manner that the queries and the issues that
was arising in the business get resolved. Questionnaire is the best way to know what exactly the
consumer is in need of. The impact of social media on the buying behaviour and the decision
making process of the consumers are well analysed with this research study. There are various
methods which can help in the research study ( Palmer and et.al., 2011). The behaviour of the
consumer is been studied in the research. This methodology is used to get the effective result and
to enhance the performance of the organisation's operations. The ultimate objective of the
research methodology is to understand the mind set of the consumers and the way they behave
on the several changes that the firm does in its products and the services. With the help of this
research study the learner will be able to make effective decision on various aspects of the
business activities. The purpose and the objective of choosing this research methodology are-
 To attain the effective result
 To identify the required things that the organisation must focus on.
 Relevancy in the data
 Accurate and precise information.
Questionnaire
Name-

Age-
Gender-
1) Which of the following social media site is been used by you on daily basis?
 Facebook
 Twitter
 Blogs
 Reddit
 You tube
2) How much time is spent by you on social media?
 1-3 hours
 4-5 hours
 6-8 hours
 10 hours and more
3) Time spend on mass media (TV, radio, magazines etc)
 0
 1-3 hours
 4-6 hours
 7 hours and more
4) Do you find informations about products and services seeking on these social sites?
 Agree
 Strongly agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
 Strongly disagree.
5) Does social media influence you to buy the products and the services?
 Yes
 No
6) Do you find information gathering in social media is easier than mass media?
 Agree
 Strongly agree
 Neutral

 Disagree
 Strongly disagree.
2.3) Record and allocate relevant data where appropriate.
With this research study the data is been collected in relevant manner, and the efficiency
is also appropriate here. The following are the graphical representation of the data collected
through the questionnaire study.