Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Behavior

This report investigates the significant impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior. It examines the shift from traditional shopping to online purchases, driven by advancements in communication and the influence of social media platforms. The study explores the changing consumer behaviors, including online purchase behaviors and online shopping trends, and analyzes the factors influencing these changes. It includes a project proposal outlining the aims, objectives, and research questions, along with a comprehensive literature review. The research methodology, employing positivism and a deductive approach, utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, including surveys and questionnaires. The report also addresses sampling techniques, reliability, and validity, ensuring the ethical considerations of the research. The findings of this study can be used by organizations to develop effective online marketing strategies, gain insights into consumer perspectives, and adapt their business models to align with market trends.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD
Business Research Method
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
This is a study, which depicts the affect of the social media on the buying behavior of the
consumer. In the past few decades, the buying behaviors of the consumers have changed
immensely and shopping at physical stores has decreased significantly. There has been
development in the modern communication system and consumers are preferring to buy products
for the online stores by using social media as the source of information. This huge change in the
buying behavior of the consumers can be classified as online purchase behavior and online
shopping. This study will help the organization to identify the recent changes in the behavioral
patterns of the consumers and the market trends. This study can be used by the organizations that
are going to develop an online marketing strategy for improving the share in the market. The
organizations will be able to gain knowledge about the perspective of the consumers, which will
help them to incorporate new aspects to the business model. Thus, this study will effectively
analyze the various impacts of the social media marketing on the buying behavior of the
consumers.

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Table of Content
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
2. Project Context............................................................................................................................3
3. Project Proposal...........................................................................................................................4
4. Research Question.......................................................................................................................6
5. Literature Review........................................................................................................................6
6. Research Methodology................................................................................................................7
7. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................10
Reference.......................................................................................................................................11

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Topic- The impact of social media marketing on the consumer buying behavior
1. Introduction
This is a study, which depicts the affect of the social media on the buying behavior of the
consumer. In the past few decades, the buying behaviors of the consumers have changed
immensely and shopping at physical stores has decreased significantly. There has been
development in the modern communication system and consumers are preferring to buy products
for the online stores by using social media as the source of information. This huge change in the
buying behavior of the consumers can be classified as online purchase behavior and online
shopping.
2. Project Context
This is a research, which will determine the buying behavior of the consumers due to the
emergence of the online shopping platforms. The traditional media was initially the most popular
media as certain point of time but more and more companies are including the social media for
using it as a tool of promotion and communicating with the potential consumers to identify the
changes in the market trends and the needs of the consumers (Kumar et al., 2016). The buying
behavior of the consumers has changed drastically, this study will be analyzing the reasons, and
the factors involved in it. Social media is a platform, which connects users from all round the
world, which enables them to share relevant information among themselves. The report will
measure the various social media platforms used by the consumers and organization. This study
will provide perspective of both the consumers and the organizations about the usage of the
social media for fulfilling their objectives.

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3. Project Proposal
Background and problem definition
Web 2.0 is the one of most formidable development in the history of commerce and it has
lead to the emergence of social media as platform for sharing g information and purchasing
products. The availability of information and the product in the online market is has significantly
changed the buying behavior of the consumer. The tradition marketing media has become dead
and the use of mass media for promotion of the product has become of the most outdate concept
(Ioanăs & Stoica, 2014). The cost of marketing at an online platform is less and the penetration
of the online media is more than the conventional form of media. Thus, the organizations are
shifting from the use of conventional form of media to the online marketing platform to improve
their competitive advantage in the market. The online marketing media has become a necessity
for all the companies in the market, as it will help in maintaining the sustainability of the
organizations. The use of online media has been incorporated in the business model of the
organizations and they are trying to use innovative ways to grab the attention of the consumers
(Hudson & Thal, 2013).
Social media is a platform, which enables the user to communicate with each other and
share information. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the most popular social media websites
where information about various products is readily available. These platforms include reviews,
feedbacks and comments about various products, which have a significant influence on the
buying behavior of the consumers (Essani et al., 2017). The frequencies of the physical stores are
decreasing and the companies are bound to use the online platform in order to compete with the
organizations in the market. This marketing has provided a new dimension to the relationship
between the marketers and the retailers. The social media platform is full of potential and the

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ability of an organization to market a product will determine whether the organization will be
able to capture the market or not. Thus, the study will evaluate the factors which will impact the
buying behavior of the consumers and what are the marketing strategies the organization can use
to retain the present consumers.
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the research is identification of the impact of the social media marketing in
the buying behavior of the consumers. The study will aim to analyze the most popular online
products in the market and the products that are suitable for selling at an online platform. The
project will also analyze the various strategies applied by the companies to affect the buying
behavior of the consumers.
Research Hypothesis
H0 – Social media marketing has no impact on the buying behavior of the consumers
H1 – Social media marketing has impact on the buying behavior of the consumers
Objectives
 To analyze the impact of the social media platform on the consumer buying behavior
 To critically evaluate the significance of the social media platform
 To identify suitable strategies for influencing the consumer buying behavior through
social media

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4. Research Question
 What is the impact of social media on consumer buying behavior?
 What is the significance of social media marketing in the buying behavior of the
consumers?
5. Literature Review
The most important factor is to identify the type of consumer, who are being influenced
by the social media. There are basically two types of consumer in the online platform one is the
Online Insiders while the other is the social clickers. The social clickers are the buyers who use
the online information about various products and have the ability to influence other potential
users about any particular product. However, the Online Insiders are the ones who are heavy
users of the online media but their purpose of usage is different (Ioanăs & Stoica, 2014). They
have less significance on the buying behavior of the consumers and generally browse the web for
research purposes. The demographics is one of the factor, which will affect the buying behavior
of the consumer, the buying pattern of male users are quite different than the female users. The
study shows that consumers are choosing the online media for gathering information and making
purchase, the amount of online buyers have increased significantly.
The consumer buying decision process is an important model, which will help to identify
and analyze the behavior of the consumers in various phases of the process. There are
organizations who have reached bottleneck and it is practically impossible for them to reach the
desired consumers. The organization will analyze and understand the new trends in the market
and the changes in the buying behavior depending upon their demographics (Ramanathan, 2017).
However, the topic is quite huge and it is impossible to analyze the behavior pattern of

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consumers in every country and culture. The buying behavior will be impacted by the cultural
values and so it will be able to provide a generalized impact on the consumers. The impact on the
consumer based on the culture cannot be identified in this study and no researcher has talked
about the impact of the social media on the cultural values and how it has affected the buying
behavior.
6. Research Methodology
Research methodology is one of the most significant aspects of the study and it helps to
identify and implement the techniques for the analysis of the data. The methodology will justify
the use of the various techniques in the evaluation of the project. The methodology will consist
of the various models and the frameworks that will used for conducting the research. This
methodology will help in conducting other studies, which has similar topic of research. The
philosophy of research consists of the source and the nature of the knowledge. There are
generally four types of research philosophies, they are positivism, interpretivism, realism and
post positivism (Humphries, 2017). However, the research philosophy that will be used in this
study is positivism, as it will help to identify the hidden truths and facts in the research. This
research philosophy will help to create the scope for conducting the descriptive analysis. The
existing theories in the study can be included with the help of positivism, as it will help to
conduct the hypothesis of the research. The study will consist of testing of the hypothesis and so
the deductive approach will be one of the most suitable approaches for conducting the study. The
existing theories and the assumptions that has been made during the study will be validated with
the help of the deductive approach (Brannen, 2017). The inductive approach is used for
formulation of new theories and so cannot be used in this field of study. The inductive approach

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implements the research question whereas the deductive approach is based on testing of the
hypothesis.
In this study, the theory is defined and then is validated with the help of the deductive
approach and it helps in investigating the findings. Primary data will be used for the analysis of
the study and will consist of both quantitative and qualitative study. The quantitative study will
include the mathematical analysis of the data to identify the relationship among the two
variables. The data will be collected by using surveys, which will consist of close-ended
questionnaires (Creswell & Poth, 2017). The data analysis will consist of the analysis of the
mean, mode, median and regression that will help to establish the relationship between the two
variables. The qualitative analysis of the data will consist of the surveys and questionnaires with
open-ended questions, which will help to provide a better understanding. The qualitative will aim
to provide a different dimension to the research; this study will consist of both quantitative and
qualitative research. The multi method techniques has been used in the research as it will
complement each other and will provide a better understanding for the field of study. Sampling is
a technique, which will be used to collect the data; a small of data will be collected from the
overall population sample, which will be considered as the sample size for the analysis of the
study. This small sample will represent the overall population size; probabilistic and non-
probabilistic samplings are the two methods that will be used (Patten, 2017). The probabilistic
sampling will use the random sampling method to identify the respondents for the study where as
the non-probabilistic sampling will use non-random method to select the sample for the study.
Reliability is the ability of generating precision by using the same sets of instruments.
The high degree of reliability signifies that the study can be sued to derive accurate results for
similar studies. Validity is the degree of extent of the usage of the research methods and is the

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compulsory field for analysis of the study (Bryman, 2015). The current study consists of data
that are reliable and can be validated. Ethical ground is none of the significant aspect of the
academic and research papers. The names of the respondents will not be disclosed and
confidentiality of the data has been made. The data will not be used for other purposes and none
of the respondents were never forced to take part in this procedure.
Research Plan
Main activities/ stages Week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 Week 5 Week 6
Topic Selection 
Data collection from secondary
sources
 
Framing layout of the research 
Literature review   
Formation of the research Plan  
Selection of the Appropriate
Research Techniques
 
Primary data collection  
Analysis & Interpretation of
Data Collection
 
Conclusion of the Study 
Formation of Rough Draft 
Submission of Final Work 

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7. Conclusion
Thus, the conclusion that can be drawn from the proposal is primary analysis will be the
basis of the analysis. Multi methods will be used for the analysis of the data and will consist of
both quantitative and the qualitative parts. However, as this topic has a wider range it will
provide a result, which will be a standard result. This study will help the organization to identify
the recent changes in the behavioral patterns of the consumers and the market trends. This study
can be used by the organizations that are going to develop an online marketing strategy for
improving the share in the market. The organizations will be able to gain knowledge about the
perspective of the consumers, which will help them to incorporate new aspects to the business
model. Thus, this study will effectively analyze the various impacts of the social media
marketing on the buying behavior of the consumers.

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Reference
Brannen, J. (Ed.). (2017). Mixing methods: Qualitative and quantitative research. Routledge.
Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among
five approaches. Sage publications.
Essani, A., Shahbuddin, A., Zubair, M., Siddiqui, R., Arshad, S., & Qamar, A. (2017). Impact of
Social Media on Women Buying Behavior Towards Textile Sector. RADS Journal of
Social Sciencess & Business Management, 4(1), 51-63.
Hudson, S., & Thal, K. (2013). The impact of social media on the consumer decision process:
Implications for tourism marketing. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2),
156-160.
Humphries, B. (2017). Re-thinking social research: anti-discriminatory approaches in research
methodology. Taylor & Francis.
Ioanăs, E., & Stoica, I. (2014). Social media and its impact on consumers behavior. International
Journal of Economic Practices and Theories, 4(2), 295-303.
Kumar, A., Bezawada, R., Rishika, R., Janakiraman, R., & Kannan, P. K. (2016). From social to
sale: The effects of firm-generated content in social media on customer behavior.
American Marketing Association.
Patten, M. L. (2017). Understanding research methods: An overview of the essentials. Taylor &
Francis.

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Ramanathan, U., Ramanathan, U., Subramanian, N., Subramanian, N., Parrott, G., & Parrott, G.
(2017). Role of social media in retail network operations and marketing to enhance
customer satisfaction. International Journal of Operations & Production
Management, 37(1), 105-123.