Consumer Behavior and Social Media: An Australian Research Report

This report investigates the impact of social media platforms on consumer buying behavior, focusing on the Australian market. It employs a positivism research paradigm and a deductive research approach, utilizing both secondary and primary data through surveys. The study explores the social media platforms most frequented by customers, the types of information accessed, and how this information influences purchase decisions. It also examines the potential of direct links from social media to e-commerce sites in attracting customers. The research gathers data through surveys distributed via online tools and analyzes the responses using quantitative methods. The findings highlight the significant influence of social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, on consumer shopping habits, with a majority of respondents being female and falling within the 1500-1749 AUD weekly income bracket. The report concludes with a discussion of the study's contributions, limitations, and suggestions for future research, emphasizing the need for further investigation through interviews and observational studies to enhance the depth of understanding.

Research Project 1
Research Project

Research Project 2
Table of Contents
Research Methodology....................................................................................................................5
Overview......................................................................................................................................5
Research Paradigm......................................................................................................................5
Research Approach......................................................................................................................5
Research Design..........................................................................................................................6
Research Questions......................................................................................................................7
Research Hypothesis....................................................................................................................7
Data Collection............................................................................................................................7
Data Analysis...............................................................................................................................8
Sampling......................................................................................................................................9
Ethical Issues...............................................................................................................................9
Research Limitations.................................................................................................................10
Analysis of the Research Data.......................................................................................................10
Introduction................................................................................................................................10
Data............................................................................................................................................10
Empirical Analysis.....................................................................................................................11
Age Brackets of Customers...................................................................................................11
Income Group of Respondents..............................................................................................12

Research Project 3
Gender of the Respondents....................................................................................................12
Findings.....................................................................................................................................14
Types of Social Media Accessed...........................................................................................14
Accessing of Product/Service/Brand Information.................................................................17
Information use for buying product/service..........................................................................20
Influence of Direct Links from Social Media sites................................................................22
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................24
Discussion......................................................................................................................................24
Preference of visiting Social Media sites...................................................................................24
Accessibility of relevant information........................................................................................25
Usability of information in making purchases...........................................................................25
Influence of direct links on social media sites...........................................................................25
Contributions of the Study.............................................................................................................26
Limitations and Future Research...................................................................................................26
References......................................................................................................................................27
Appendix........................................................................................................................................29
Appendix 1.................................................................................................................................29
Survey Questionnaire.............................................................................................................29
Appendix 2.................................................................................................................................30

Research Project 4
Types of Social Media Accessed...........................................................................................30
Appendix 3.................................................................................................................................30
Accessing of Product/Service/Brand Information.................................................................30
Appendix 4.................................................................................................................................31
Information use for buying product/service..........................................................................31
Appendix 5.................................................................................................................................31
Influence of Direct Links from Social Media sites................................................................31

Research Project 5
Research Methodology
Overview
This chapter would effectively focus on reflecting the research methodology that would be
followed for carrying out the research in a timely and effective fashion. It would also highlight
on the research questions and hypothesis that needs to be addressed by the research activity.
Research Paradigm
The positivism research paradigm would be incorporated for carrying out the research regarding
social media’s influence on consumer buying behavior. The application of positivism research
paradigm implies the incorporation of statistical and diagrammatic tools for evaluation of
inferences gained based on carrying out a survey activity on a target population. Owing to the
incorporation of quantitative techniques, the positivism research paradigm is considered to be
scientific and rationalistic in nature as compared to interpretivism research paradigm. The
inferences gained in case of positivism research are identified to be specific and quantifiable in
nature. Further, the application of diagrammatic tools in case of analysis of the inferences
regarding positivism research enhances the level of its significance and makes it easy to be
interpreted (Rubin, 2008).
Research Approach
The current research activity is to be conducted through the employment of deductive research
approach. Selection of the deductive research approach potentially implies the development of

Research Project 6
research hypotheses and thereby in formulating structured survey questions for carrying out a
survey on target respondents. The inferences gained based on carrying out of the survey being
quantifiable would be tabulated on an excel sheet for carrying out needed analysis. The
inferences gained from the analysis would be applied for evaluation of the research hypotheses.
The application of deductive research approach ideally contributes in making the research
activity focused or narrowed upon (Bynner & Stribley, 2010).
Research Design
The research design for the current research activity would evidently focus on the incorporation
of both secondary and primary analysis. Secondary analysis would be carried out in terms of
consulting books, journals and other online articles associated to the understanding of consumer
buying behavior and the impact of social media on such. The secondary analysis would serve an
effective background for the carrying out of primary research activity in the form of surveys and
interviews. Further, secondary research is encouraged in that it stands out to be cost effective and
also can be carried out in an independent fashion to gain access to authentic data published in
secondary sources. For the primary research activity, the application of survey research is
required to be undertaken (Rubin, 2008). Structured questionnaire sets are required to be
formulated for carrying out the survey on a specific population. Specific, structured and
quantitative inferences would be gained from the survey activity for carrying out further analysis.
Primary research activity though time and cost consuming in nature is encouraged owing to the
fact that it helps in generating practical and current inferences associated to the research issue.
Further, the incorporation of both qualitative and quantitative data sets for carrying out the
research activity signifies the application of triangulation research activity. Triangulated

Research Project 7
Research potentially contributes in enhancing the depth and quality of the research activity
(Brown, 2010).
Research Questions
1. What are the social media platforms that are most frequented by customers?
2. What type of information is accessed by customers in terms of accessing social media
networks?
3. How does the information accessed by customers via the social media platforms
influence their purchase decisions?
4. How can the use of direct links enabled in the social media platforms to e-commerce sites
contribute in attracting and converting potential customers?
Research Hypothesis
H0: The accessibility of customers to social media platforms of product and service brands fails
to generate potential influences in affecting their consumer behavior.
H1: The accessibility of customers to social media platforms for product and service brands tends
to cast an influence on the shopping and purchase behavior of the consumers.
Data Collection
Data collection activity for the research activity would be carried out based on sourcing
information from secondary and primary sources. In terms of secondary sources, books, journals
and articles would be searched from the online library and studied for gaining access to relevant
data regarding the influence of social media activities on the buying behavior of the consumers.

Research Project 8
Other than the use of secondary sources, survey activity would also be carried out to collect
primary data from the larger market. The carrying out of the survey activity in terms of
designing of close-ended questions and disseminating it amongst the target population through
the use of different tools like SurveyMonkey that serves as an online survey tool, social media
networks like Facebook and Twitter and also based on the use of physical mailing system
(Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2013). Further, the responses to the structured questionnaires
would be gained based on the use of multi-dimensional rating scales that would help generate
diverse responses from the respondents. The data collected from secondary sources would be
qualitative in nature while that collected from primary sources would be quantitative in nature
(Tingli & Chengqing, 2010).
Data Analysis
The data analysis would be mainly carried out based on the quantitative data derived from the
respondents associated to close-ended questions. The quantitative data generated from carrying
out of survey activities would be determined based on percentage of responses to the different
options linked to the survey questions. The same would be tabulated in the excel sheet under
different categories and parameters developed based on the survey questions (Golafshani, 2003).
Further, the application of diagrammatic research tools like pie, bar and line charts as well as
scatter diagrams would be incorporated for rendering needed clarity to the research inferences.
Interpretation of the inferences would also be made for generating effective understanding
(Babbie, 2009).

Research Project 9
Sampling
The application of random sampling approach would be carried out for effective selection of the
sample respondents needed for carrying out the survey. The use of simple random sampling
approach would be made for selection of 50 respondents. The application of simple random
sampling ideally helps in the easy and faster selection of sample respondents for conducting the
research activity (Thyer, 2009). However, care must be taken for selection of such sample
respondents that are frequent users and visitors to different social networking platforms and also
focus on both gaining and discussing product, brand and services related information of different
consumer companies with other community members (Bryman & Bell, 2007).
Ethical Issues
The application of survey research activity requires the researcher to focus on fulfilling the
following ethical objectives. Effective clarification of objectives and rationale behind carrying
out the research with the usability of the results gained from the research findings are required to
be made to the survey respondents. Further, consent and permission from the respondents is also
required to be gained by the researcher before publicizing the responses gained from them
(Cohen et al., 2013). The researcher is required to generate a written promise to the respondents
that in any case no part of the responses generated by them would be publicized either in printed
or in digital form without their effective consent. Fulfillment of the above ethical objectives
contributes in enhancing the trust and commitment of the respondents for effectively
participating in the survey activity (Wimmer, 2012).

Research Project 10
Research Limitations
Owing to time constraints the research activity is carried based on incorporating survey activity.
However, the research could be better enriched in terms of amalgamation of survey research with
carrying out of interview and also observational study. The analysis of interview transcripts and
also ethnographic notes based on conducting of observational or field study would have helped
in enhancing the depth of the research and helped in gaining much refined information and
understanding of the influence of social media activities on consumer behavior.
Analysis of the Research Data
Introduction
The objective of the chapter is to analyze the influence of the social media networks on the
shopping behavior of the customers in the Australian region. It would focus on gaining
inferences based on carrying out a survey on Australian customers to evaluate their social media
networking habits and thereby its influence on converting them as potential purchasers of goods
and services rendered by consumer brands.
Data
The data for carrying out the research is essentially gathered by surveying 50 customers that
focus on conducting purchases either by visiting online or brick-and-mortar stores or both. These
customers would be evaluated based on their access, visits and usages of social media platforms
and also on the influence of social media networks on their shopping behaviors.

Research Project 11
Empirical Analysis
Age Brackets of Customers
Age Group % of Customers
25-30 20%
30-35 25%
35-44 40%
44< 15%
Age Group of Customers
25-30 years 30-35 years 35-44 years 44 + years
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
20%
25%
40%
15%
% of Customers
The age groups of respondents related to online purchases and involved in social media
commerce are essentially divided along four main categories. Out of the four categories,
maximum number of customers belongs to the age group 35 to 44 years.

Research Project 12
Income Group of Respondents
The income groups of the respondents are reflected as follows.
Income Brackets (Weekly) % of Respondents
1000 AUD - 1249 AUD 35%
1500 AUD - 1749 AUD 40%
2000 AUD - 2999 AUD 25%
Income Groupings of Respondents
1000 AUD - 1249 AUD 1500 AUD - 1749 AUD 2000 AUD - 2999 AUD
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
35% 40%
25%
% of Respondents
The above illustration reflects that the maximum percentage of consumer respondents essentially
belong to the weekly income category of 1500AUD to 1749AUD. They tend to account to
around 40 percent of the respondents.
Gender of the Respondents
The gender based categorization of the respondents is reflected as follows.