Social Media & Consumer Behavior: A Review of Australian Beauty Sector

This literature review explores the impact of social media on consumer behavior within the Australian beauty industry. It begins by defining social media and consumer behavior, then evaluates the specific effects of social media on consumer choices in the Australian beauty market. The review also suggests social media marketing strategies to influence consumer behavior, drawing upon theories like social cognitive theory and consumer buying behavior theory. The analysis considers both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, examining how social media platforms create virtual spaces for companies, foster direct interactions with consumers, and influence brand loyalty through word-of-mouth advertising. The review concludes by highlighting the importance of understanding these dynamics for businesses in the Australian beauty sector.

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Business research

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Research title...........................................................................................................................................3
Objectives of the research........................................................................................................................3
Project Scope...............................................................................................................................................3
Literature review.........................................................................................................................................4
RO1: To discover the meaning and concept of social media and consumer behavior..............................4
A critical review of relevant theories/models..........................................................................................6
RO2: To explore evaluate the effect of social media on consumer behavior in the Australian beauty
industry....................................................................................................................................................7
RO3: To suggested the social media marketing strategy to change the behavior of consumers with
respect to the Australian beauty industry.................................................................................................9
A qualitative and quantitative method.......................................................................................................10
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................10
References.................................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Social media is imperative for the success of the business that could directly influence the
behavior of consumers (Hee, and Yen, 2018). Hence, the Australian beauty industry could use
social media marketing method and influence a huge number of consumers. The social media
could be imperative for increasing demand of consumers with respect to goods and services as it
would be imperative for making a different image in the marketplace (Suresh, Chitra, and Maran,
2016). This research report discusses many components related to consumer behavior and social
media marketing theory. Moreover, it discusses many social media marketing strategies to
change the behavior of consumers with respect to the Australian beauty industry.
Research title
The research title of this research is relied on evaluating the effect of social media on consumer
behavior in the Australian beauty industry.
Objectives of the research
There are certain objectives that are discussed below:
 RO1: To discover the meaning and concept of social media and consumer behavior.
 RO2: To explore evaluate the effect of social media on consumer behavior in the
Australian beauty industry.
 RO3: To suggested the social media marketing strategy to change the behavior of
consumers with respect to the Australian beauty industry.
Project Scope
This report is imperative for gaining understanding towards meaning and concept of consumers
behavior and social media that could be imperative for improving the situation of business and
leads to get a higher outcome. It also supports to evaluate the effect of social media on consumer

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behavior in the Australian beauty industry. In last, it also supports to comprehend the social
media marketing strategy to change the behavior of consumers with respect to the Australian
beauty industry.
Literature review
RO1: To discover the meaning and concept of social media and consumer behavior.
Lancaster and Massingham, (2017) stated that social networks could enable the consumer for
sharing beliefs, opinion, and, personal data among a huge number of consumers. Moreover,
social media could facilitate company for positively interact with their consumers and also assist
them to share their targeted data about products and services. In addition, it is evaluated that
social media enables new methods for obtaining the new product by people interaction.
Moreover, social media could facilitate to build a direct relationship with their consumers that
could influence the overall financial result of the company.
On the other hand, Mohamed, Medina, and Romo, (2018) stated that the beauty industry uses
social media to manage with their consumers to get a reliable result in the least time and cost.
Moreover, it is evaluated that there is certain research that was conducted in favor of consumer
behavior and social media. In the recent business era, social media is mostly practiced by
existing as well as new users to get a higher outcome. It is ways by which an organization could
be capable to make competitive benefits in limited time and cost. The social media could offer a
way by which consumers and firm will be capable to interact with each other. It is evaluated that
data structure could facilitate to make a decision in the context of the current issue.
Hafiz and Ali, (2018) argued that consumer buying behavior could represent decisions, desires,
and attitude that could build the consumers in the market before making buying decision towards
any goods and services. There are different elements that could affect the decision of consumer’s

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behavior. Moreover, it is evaluated that there are many elements that could be considered in
consumer buying behavior like sociology, psychology, anthropology, and culture. Moreover,
there are certain processes that are considered in the consumers buying decision procedure like
problem detection, information discovery, data evaluation, and post buying services.
On other hands, Chung, Song, and Lee, (2017) evaluated that social media marketing is the
component that is practiced for selling goods and services. This tool is practiced for promoting
goods and services in the least time and cost. In addition, it is also examined social media
marketing could influence the behavior of consumer in limited time. Apart from this, it is
evaluated that social media marketing offers a way by which Australian beauty industry could
use the social media marketing method for attracting consumers and influence them to purchase
goods and services of the firm. It is also effective for endorsing goods to their potential
consumers. It offers effective methods for the organization for promoting their products and
services by the internet and social media. Consequently, it could be imperative for attaining aim
and objectives.
Apart from this, Karami, Olfati, and Dubinsky, (2017) illustrated that there are different methods
of social media marketing that could be effective for the accomplishment of desired goal. An
individual could evaluate the different sources of social media to attract a huge number of
consumers and make a reliable conclusion. Moreover, Consumer buying behavior could be
influenced by social media as it facilitates to directly communicate with consumers and
comprehend their opinion and experience towards any products and services. It could be
effective for making a decision in the context of the current matter. Hence, the organization
could predict the dissatisfactory and satisfactory for the consumer statement. It could also

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evaluate the certain components of social media marketing that might influence the buying
behavior of consumers.
A critical review of relevant theories/models
McIntyre, Melewar, and Dennis (2016) stated that there are many theories of social media
marketing that could be practiced by the firm to make a favorable decision. The social cognitive
theory demonstrated that consumer buying behavior is mutual and dynamic communication with
the individual attribution. It is evaluated that social environmental component that identifies
factors that might influence the consumer buying behavior.
In oppose to this, Gupta, (2018) explained that consumer buying behavior theory could also
enable the firm to make a purchasing decision. Customers believed that social media marketing
will enable to get many benefits like a great deal, social validation, promotion, and incremental
saving. Moreover, it can be evaluated that that digital marketing is practiced for inspiring the
buying behavior of the procedure. It can also be evaluated that social media marketing is web-
based services that could modify behaviors of consumers. It could be imperative for sharing a
huge amount of information.
On the other side, Pham and Gammoh, (2015) evaluated that social media marketing could be
imperative to decide a suitable method for customer association behavior ability. In addition, it is
evaluated that consumer could use different communication method to convey with other.
Another method is the way by which consumer will share their view and opinions towards goods
and branding. Customers could directly connect with other buyers who have to use the same
products and service. Moreover, it is examined that brand loyalty could also influence by the
negative and positive comments of other consumers with respect to the same goods and services

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on the internet. It is evaluated that this kind of activity could directly impact on the demand of
goods and services.
Parsons, Maclaran, and Chatzidakis, (2017) argued that social media marketing method could
offer an opportunity to connect the consumer and expand their feelings towards goods and
service. It could also be vital to retaining their existing and new consumers for long-term.
Another approach of social media marketing could define trust among consumers that could be
another major task for the firm. There are many market player who presents their goods and
services among a huge number of consumers with a unique image that could mandate to the
consumer to purchase particular goods and services.
El Jurdi and Smith (2018) recommend that there are creation theories of consumer buying
behavior that might make the link between social media marketing buying behavior of
consumers. These theories are known as a contemporary model and traditional model. The
traditional approach considers certain factors named sociological, learning, and economic model.
Apart from this, the contemporary approach could rely on the Howard-Sheth Model. An
organization could use the economic model and determine methods and thoughts by which
organization will be capable to comprehend different methods that assist to make higher
competitive benefits in the least time and cost. Apart from this, it is evaluated that that, earning
model could assist the firm to comprehend the factors that might influence the consumers buying
behaviors named satisfaction level and their experience.
RO2: To explore evaluate the effect of social media on consumer behavior in the Australian
beauty industry.
As per the view of Lim Cheah and Wong (2017), social media creates a favorable impact on the
consumer buying behavior of the beauty industry in Australia. It creates a virtual home for

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companies on social media websites. As a result, it facilitates higher category of wider changes
to the corporation to increase the transparency of customers with respect to the brand. Social
media websites permit both customers and business to do direct interaction. Under this way,
freedom demonstrates that an individual can now voice their opinion about the products and
company in a semi-public setting where a high amount of individuals can read and see it.
In support of this, Wright (2017) stated that in case, a customer provides a positive response on
social media then a company can get the benefits. Moreover, Beauty Company can remove the
negative comments from the pages, yet it should be restricted control. Since the commenter can
post the negative reviews in another place as well as generates a page dedication towards
negative opinion. The social network could be structured for creating an easy process to
distribute the data so that, negative customers can easily share their ideas with others at the
workplace.
On the other side, Macdonald Medina and Romo (2016) evaluated that social media is
advantageous for developing loyalty between the consumers. It makes competent for Beauty
Company to directly communicate with the consumers. Consequently, the brand salesperson can
develop a personal liaison with consumers for developing loyalty between them. It is evaluated
that while a consumer has complaint and representative is compassionate, knowledgeable and
experts then it can support for the declining annoyance of consumers. Social media allows the
beauty company to give its time to demonstrate their best responses and ensures the consistency
in order to get the best responses of different consumers.
According to Zahid et al. (2018), word of mouth is essential elements for accomplishing the sales
of a corporation. Advertising is essential for consumers to purchase the products and services as
compared to developing trust on other customers to purchase their suggested products. Word of

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mouth advertising can cover the global areas in less time with sending influencing content to
each consumer. In the Australian beauty industry, the company can communicate with the bulk
of consumers at the click of a button through the social media. This is effective for distributing
message about the beauty company. However, it has an adverse impact on the goodwill of
company like unfavorable information can be easily distributed by negative consumers.
On the other side, Patel (2018) opined that social media provides disseminate a large number of
information about the products and company. This information is not restricted to efforts of the
company through their websites as competitors use different social media for persuading the
buying decision of consumers. The wider range of products can transform the purchasing
decision of consumers towards investigations. Before developing buying decision, a consumer
can visit on social media channels and demonstrates what other people observe about the
products and how the corporation deals with the customer services.
RO3: To suggested the social media marketing strategy to change the behavior of
consumers with respect to the Australian beauty industry.
Kumar et al. (2016) suggested that a corporation can distribute authentic information and
transparent data about the products and services to their consumers. This would lead to persuade
the consumer buying decision. Beauty Company can enhance the awareness of brand between
the consumers by delivering the demonstrating message through social media platforms. The
message should be distinguished through competitors as it would be beneficial for creating the
unique image in the mind of consumers and obtains maximum profitability.
In support of this, Scott and Vigar‐Ellis (2014) evaluated that a corporation can focus on the
aspects that message should have for less time and includes a high amount of an individual. This
would be advantageous for persuading the consumer buying behavior. It can be recommended

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that a corporation should provide information regarding sales discounts as well as offers to
persuade the buying decision of consumers.
On the other side Hynes and Wilson (2016), suggested that a company can emphasize
developing the loyalty among consumers with respect the brand via several social media modes
as this could be beneficial for enhancing the revenue of products in less cost with time. In such
manner, the company can endorse their beauty products via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and
Instagram.
A qualitative and quantitative method
In this research, the researcher will use both qualitative and quantitative method to evaluate the
effect of social media on consumer behavior in the Australian beauty industry. The main reason
for selection of both methods is that as it will facilitate to the researcher to get the qualitative
(non-numerical) as well as quantitative (numerical) data in the context of current matter. It will
help to deeply evaluate the research matter and make a reliable conclusion (Chan and
Yazdanifard, 2014). It can also be evaluated that the qualitative data will be collected by
considering different sources named articles, books, journal, online and offline sources. It could
be quite costly than the other method. Apart from this, it is also evaluated that the quantitative
information will be collected by collecting numerical data by considering survey through
questionnaire method on particular research participants of the beauty industry (Moslehpour, et
al., 2017).
Conclusion
Through the above interpretation, it can be summarized that social media has a favorable and
unfavorable impact on consumer purchasing behavior in the Australian beauty industry. It can be
also concluded that there are certain factors that may affect the consumer buying decisions in the

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beauty industry like cultural, behavioral, psychological and social factors. It can be also
summarized that social media can make a transformation in buying decision of customers. There
is a certain strategy that could be implemented by the company for endorsing the buying decision
of customers.

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References
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profitability of an online company from a consumer point of view. Journal of Research in
Marketing, 2(2), pp.157-160.
Chung, N., Song, H.G. and Lee, H., 2017. Consumers’ impulsive buying behavior of restaurant
products in social commerce. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 29(2), pp.709-731.
El Jurdi, H. and Smith, S., 2018. Mirror, mirror: national identity and the pursuit of
beauty. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 35(1), pp.40-50.
Gupta, H., 2018. Impact of Digital Communication on Consumer Behaviour Processes in Luxury
Branding Segment: A Study of Apparel Industry. In Holistic Approaches to Brand Culture and
Communication Across Industries (pp. 132-157). IGI Global.
Hafiz, K.A. and Ali, K.M., 2018. TESTING THE BLACK BOX’S MODEL ON COSMETIC
PRODUCTS: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. Journal of Fundamental and Applied
Sciences, 10(1S), pp.995-1007.
Hee, O.C. and Yen, W.S., 2018. The Influence of Advertising Media towards Consumer
Purchasing Behavior in the Food and Beverage Industry in Malaysia. International Journal of
Human Resource Studies, 8(2).
Hynes, N. and Wilson, J., 2016. I do it, but don't tell anyone! Personal values, personal and
social norms: Can social media play a role in changing pro-environmental
behaviors?. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 111, pp.349-359.
Karami, M., Olfati, O. and Dubinsky, A.J., 2017. Key cultural values underlying consumers’
buying behavior: a study in an Iranian context. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 8(2), pp.289-308.