University Research: Social Media Marketing Impact on Consumers

This research project investigates the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior, examining key elements of social media marketing and consumer behavior. The study employed a quantitative methodology, including surveys and regression analysis, to analyze the relationship between the two variables. The findings indicate a positive correlation between social media marketing and consumer buying behavior. The report includes a comprehensive literature review, detailed methodology, and in-depth analysis of the data collected, along with recommendations for strategies to influence consumer buying behavior. The study's objectives are linked with the findings to draw relevant conclusions, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of modern marketing and consumer behavior. The research concludes by recommending strategies for influencing consumer buying behavior based on the study’s findings.

Running head: RESEARCH PROJECT
Research Project
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Executive Summary
This research had examined the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying
behaviour. The different elements of social media marketing and consumer buying behaviour
have been identified. The study had developed suitable methodology, which includes
quantitative analysis of data. The findings of the study show that majority of the consumers feel
that there is positive impact of social media marketing on the consumer buying behaviour. The
regression analysis inferred that there is strong positive correlation between both the variables.
The objectives of the study had been linked with the findings to draw relevant conclusion.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1..........................................................................................................................................4
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Background of the study........................................................................................................4
1.2 Research Aim and Objective.................................................................................................5
1.3 Research Hypothesis..............................................................................................................5
1.4 Research Question.................................................................................................................5
2.0 Literature review........................................................................................................................6
2.1 Social Media Marketing........................................................................................................6
2.2 Consumer Buying Behaviour................................................................................................7
2.3 Relation between the above...................................................................................................8
3.0 Research methodology...............................................................................................................9
3.1 Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................9
3.2 Research Approach................................................................................................................9
3.3 Research Design....................................................................................................................9
3.4 Data collection.....................................................................................................................10
3.5 Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................10
3.6 Sampling..............................................................................................................................10
3.7 Reliability and Validity........................................................................................................10
3.8 Ethical consideration...........................................................................................................11

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4.0 Findings and Analysis..............................................................................................................12
4.1 Quantitative Analysis...........................................................................................................12
4.1.1 Demographic Questionnaire.........................................................................................12
4.1.2 Quantitative Questionnaire on social media marketing................................................13
4.1.3 Quantitative Questionnaire on consumer buying behavior..........................................19
4.2 Regression analysis..............................................................................................................24
5.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................32
5.1 Objective 1- To identify the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying
behaviour...................................................................................................................................32
5.2 Objective 2- To evaluate the different elements of social media marketing........................32
5.3 Objective 3- To evaluate factor for influencing the buying behaviour of consumers.........32
5.4 Objective 4- To recommend suitable strategies for developing the influencing the
consumer buying behaviour.......................................................................................................33
References......................................................................................................................................34
Appendix........................................................................................................................................37

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Chapter 1
1.0 Introduction
Globalization has changed the business trends and buying behaviours of modern
consumers. The emergence of web 2.0 has changed the buying behaviour of the consumers by
enabling them the access to large information. The consumers to compare different products and
select the appropriate product depending upon their current needs and wants use this information.
Thus, the study will identify the important social media factors that will be essential for changing
the buying behaviour of the consumers.
1.1 Background of the study
Social media is a medium, which has been commercialized by many global organizations.
The availability of internet has increased significantly, which has connected the general
population from all around the world to social media marketing. Thus, there is abundance of
information on the social media platform about different products starting form product
specification to review. This shows that the consumers have access to all the information they
require before making a purchase. This has been possible, as the social media users have started
sharing information about various products (Godey et al., 2016). Thus, the products that are good
at fulfilling the needs of the consumers are able to gain more sales than the products that are least
popular in the market. Social media has provided the different global firms enhancement in their
brand popularity and brand value. Moreover, it has facilitated in improving communication
through word of mouth, gaining consumer support by sharing business information and provides
a positive impact on trust level on the consumers. There are certain social media factors, which

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are important for affecting the buying behaviour of the consumers such as social interaction,
trust, communication media and quality (Stephen, 2016). The study will try to evaluate the
impact of these factors on elements of consumers buying behaviour. The consumer buying
behaviour depends on factors such as personal factor, social, factor, psychological factor and
cultural factor.
1.2 Research Aim and Objective
The study will aim to recognize the impact of social media marketing on consumer
buying behaviour. The research will identify the different elements of social media marketing
and their effect on the factors of consumer buying behaviour.
Research objectives
 To identify the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour
 To evaluate the different elements of social media marketing
 To evaluate factor for influencing the buying behaviour of consumers
 To recommend suitable strategies for developing the influencing the consumer buying
behaviour
1.3 Research Hypothesis
H0 – Social media marketing does not have an impact on consumer buying behaviour
H1 – Social media marketing will have any impact on consumer buying behavior
1.4 Research Question
 What is the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behaviour?

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 What is the significance of impact of social media marketing on consumer buying
behaviour?
 What are the different elements of social media marketing?
 What are the different factors in influencing the buying behaviour of the consumers?
2.0 Literature review
2.1 Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing as put forward by Shaikh iet al (2016) is the modern generation
marketing tool utilised, which is the outcome of technological advancement. Contemporary
business organisations are shifting their marketing towards social media marketing to address
greater number of customers in the target market, which is both helpful and cost efficient. Social
media marketing has four primary components as communicated by Hays, Page and Buhalis
(2013), which are as follows.
Social Interaction – Ashley and Tuten (2015) viewed the opportunity of social interaction using
social media marketing as it helps the company to directly communicate with the customers and
involve them in the marketing process. The interaction mechanism as identified by Gensler et al
(2013) can be customer review, event promotion etc., which can be used by the companies
through their social networking pages as well as their website for generating idea about the
specific needs of the customers.
Communication Media – Communication media as communicated by Bacile, Ye and Swilley
(2014) are the means of delivering and receiving information. Use of this factor in social media

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marketing refers to the channel used by the company to interact with customers. They can be
email, sms, telecommunication, television advertisement etc.
Quality – Quality is another major factor in social media marketing, which refers to the quality
of the content. Mohsin Butt and Aftab (2013) argued that the quality of the content of the quality
plays significant role in communicating value to the customers. Quantify of the content promoted
hardly matters if hte quality fails to communicate the necessary message to the customers.
Trust – The last important factor in social media marketing as put forward by Mohsin Butt and
Aftab (2013) is the building of trust. This makes it necessary for the marketer to maintain
transparency for building trust among the customer that in turn helps in increasing value
proposition.
2.2 Consumer Buying Behaviour
Consumer buying behaviour on the other hand as defined by Liu et al (2013) are the
influential factors that heavily influence the decision making process of the individual consumer.
They can be divided into four factors.
Culture – Cultural background of the customer is an important factor that heavily regulates the
purchasing behaviour of the customers. As identified by Zhang et al (2103), individual belonging
from the different culture develop different needs that can be satisfied by particular products.
Hence, marketers require developing and promoting their products addressing customers from
different cultural background.
Social – Social factors in customer buying behaviour as argued by Cantallops and Salvi (2014)
are the influence of the social circle that considerably modifies the purchasing behaviour. For
instance, word of mouth is one of the greatest social influence that determines the purchasing

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behaviour of the customers. Cantallops and Salvi (2014) on the other hand identified the
possibilities for the marketers in altering the purchasing behaviour of the customers using
communication media.
Personal – Personal factors on the other hand also alters the purchasing behaviour of the
customers due to the individual need. Zhang et al (2103) argued that individual need is based on
various social factors such as economic, demographic etc. that creates need for the product.
Responsibility of the marketing managers is to identify the needs to satisfy them accordingly for
greater value creation.
Psychological – Psychological factors that has influence over customer purchasing behaviour
primarily seeks for the satisfaction from the product being delivered to the customers. According
to Zhang et al (2103) psychological satisfaction can be compared with the customers’ perceived
value of the products. This is the alignment of the expected value of product with the received
value.
2.3 Relation between the above
Social media marketing incorporated by the contemporary business organisations has
significant influence over customer purchasing behaviour. Social interaction as argued by
Nguyen, Leclerc and LeBlanc (2013) can formulate idea about the cultural need of the
customers. Communication media on the other hand shows efficiency in socially influence
customers for purchasing the product offered. Relation can be established between quality
communicated in social media marketing and personal need of the customers. Company can
offer various standards of the products for satisfying individual target customer group. Trust
building process in the social media marketing can be linked with the psychological factor

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(Nguyen, Leclerc & LeBlanc, 2013). The company through transparent marketing can
communicate actual deliverables, hence facilitate in increasing customers’ perceived value.
3.0 Research methodology
Research methodology is the method of identifying facts collected the data collected in a
systematic manner. This is an applied research where a particular problem has been addressed
and managers in various organizations can use the relevant findings for implementing the
findings in their respective organizations (Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault, 2015).
3.1 Research Philosophy
Research philosophy increases the awareness about the various assumptions taken in the
study. Pragmatism, intepretivism, positivism and realism are the different research philosophies
used in academic journals (Silverman, 2016). In this study, positivism has been selected as the
research philosophy as data will be observed and collected to identify the hidden facts. The
premises and the conclusion in the study are known so the nature of the study is objective.
3.2 Research Approach
Deductive, abductive and inductive are the three approaches of research (Sekaran &
Bougie, 2016). In this deductive approach has been used as hypothesis testing is an important
component of the study. The research has developed the objectives based on the present theories
and deductive approach will be used to validate the existing theories in research.
3.3 Research Design
The two research designs used in academic studies are conclusive and exploratory
research (Lewis, 2015). Conclusive research design will be used in the study as the research
design. The conclusive research design will facilitate in reaching the stated conclusion.

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3.4 Data collection
The research consists of a single design so mono method is used where primary data will
be collected through questionnaires and surveys (Palinkas et al., 2015). The study will use
questionnaires having close-ended questions and surveyed to the consumers in prime shopping
districts.
3.5 Data Analysis
The data analysis will include quantitative analysis of data by using statistical tools such
as Ms Excel (Treiman, 2014). The quantitative analysis will consist of calculation of the
descriptive statistics, which will consist of frequency of the respondents on each of the questions
and graphs. Regression analysis will be conducted to examine the nature and degree of
relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable.
3.6 Sampling
Sampling is used to collect sample size for the research from the overall population.
Probabilistic sampling and non-probabilistic sampling are the two sampling techniques used in
research (Bryman & Bell, 2015). As the sample population is huge, sampling is executed to
reduce the complexity of the quantitative analysis by selecting population sample which will
represent the whole population. In this study, simple random sampling is used to randomly
select respondents for the research. Initially survey was conducted on 300 respondents and then
randomization has been used for selecting 50 respondents for the study.
3.7 Reliability and Validity
Reliability is essential for replicating the results of the different studies having similar
research topics using the described methods. The study has used test rated reliability to make the

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reliability of the study as high as possible (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 2014). Validity measures
the precision of the research methods used in the study and construct validity has been used to
increase the compatibility of the tools (Heale & Twycross, 2015).
3.8 Ethical consideration
In this research, the respondents have been made aware of the research objective and
purpose (Battiste, 2016). Anonymity of the respondents has been maintained and none of the
respondents has been forced to take part in the survey.