Research Report: Social Media Marketing and Brand Loyalty

This report investigates the impact of Social Media Marketing (SMM) on customer brand loyalty. The research, based on a survey of 338 social media users in the United States, explores how factors like advantageous campaigns, content relevancy, content popularity, platform variety, and application availability influence brand loyalty. The study reveals that advantageous campaigns and relevant content significantly enhance brand loyalty, with content popularity and platform diversity also playing key roles. The analysis further examines the types of content preferred by social media users, identifying music, instructional videos, funny content, and technological information as frequently shared categories, while users avoid sharing horror, sad events, or advertisements. The findings suggest that effective SMM strategies should focus on providing value, relevant and updated content, and engaging applications, aligning with consumer preferences for entertainment, information sharing, and a break from daily realities. The study underscores the importance of understanding consumer behavior in the virtual environment for successful brand building and customer engagement.

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Effects of Social Media on Marketing
Introduction
Building as well as maintaining loyalty to a brand remain amongst the fundamental
themes of research for company markers for an extremely extended time. Marketers have used a
range of ways to maintain the loyalty to brand and their respective clientele. Amongst the latest
way is social-media marketing (SMM). The main objective of this research is to determine the
effects/impacts of SMM on loyalty to brand of the customers, provided that an idea is
increasingly gaining traction from the marketing practitioners alongside academia. The research
scope encompasses customers who are following at minimum a brand on social site in the United
States and data was gathered using structured questionnaire administration in a sample of three
and thirty three individuals and tested through stepwise multiple regression. The outcome of this
research showcased that loyalties to brand by consumers stays desirably impacted whenever the
brand is (offering benefits/advantages to campaigns); (ii) offering relevant contents; (iii) offering
popular contents; (iv) appearing on a range of platforms as wells (v) offering applications on
social media; were employed utilizing SPPS 17.0 version. The clientele preferred to share
technological-linked, music alongside funnies contents on social media sites. Premised on the
outcomes, this research might be regarded as a pioneer in this novel field of marketing, and
suggest various tactics for marketing specialists.

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Literature Review:
Safko and Brake study in 2009 defined social media as “activities, practices, alongside
behaviors amongst the community of individuals gathering online to share info, opinions, and
knowledge utilizing interactive/conversational media. Social media has been defined as
techniques utilized for conversing with Web 2.0 qualities- i.e. they remain cooperative,
participatory, have knowledge sharing as well as user-empowering techniques available on Web.
Jackson (2011) held that as an efficient utilization of resources and time, SMM provide
organizations with enhanced grounds for communication with clientele to build desirable brand
loyalty past the conventional tactics. Jackson (2011) study which was undertaken by Info-
graphics places onward that at minimum 50% of Facebook and Twitter users believe that they
have since increasingly become probable to converse about, suggest or purchase an
organization’s products following their engagement with companies on social media. A business
is able to promote services and products; avail instant support as well as create a virtual
community of its brand enthusiasts via all social media forms including social networking sites,
virtual words, content community, microblogging sites, blogs, online gaming sites, news sites,
social bookmarking and fora. Moreover, Gunelius (2011) study held that social media allows
clients to share info with respective colleagues regarding the service and product brands. Such
discourse between peers provide organizations another cost-effective means of increasing
awareness of brand, boosting brand recognition as well as recalling, and increasing loyalty to
brand. Therefore, McKee (2010) study concluded that social media assist organizations in
building brand loyalties via community building, networking as well as communication.
Social media market stays distinct from traditional tactics of marketing; thus, it need
special attention as well as building strategy to accomplish both brand-loyalty alongside image.

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SMM is linked to relationship marketing, whereby an organization requires to swift from
“attempting sale” to “networks making” with clientele. Firms further must escape from “huge
campaigns” while sticking to “smaller acts” because certain smaller campaigns effortlessly cover
many audience and achieve the intended objectives within a short while. SMM remains an
increasingly genuine means in its conversation with clientele, attempting to showcase what a
brand entails instead of attempting to control its image. The contemporary consumers stay
increasingly influential and busy; and hence, organization must remain accessible alongside
accessible in each social media conversation channel like Twitter, Fora, Facebook, Blogs at all
times.
Remaining competitive in the contemporary quickly-moving business environment needs
an all-encompassing social-media strategies. Organizations recruit social media specialists along
with consultants to make decisions on contents alongside features of their offers as well as
activities in social media surrounding in a manner that minds and hearts of the clientele remain
apprehended and brand loyalties automatically follows. Inside such a standpoint, the objective of
this study is to provide more light on viewpoint of consumer on impacts of social media on
loyalties of brand so that insinuations might be derived for companies to comprise efficient
SMM strategies and activity for respective bands. According to Leggat (2010), the e-Marketer
research has showcased that clienteles visit social media sites to maintaining pace with
promotional campaigns of brand and product/service. For instance, Coca-Cola and Pepsi both
employed virtual customer loyalties initiatives and programs to effectively engage their clients
by availing exceptional promotions, free-CDs besides mp3 downloads. Furthermore, clienteles
perceive social media sites as the service channel whereby they are able to engross on real-time
foundation with business. Nonetheless, Freidman (2011) established that consumers have

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preferences for seeing updated contents on these social sites first. Therefore, Google has altered
its search strategy/system algorithm to allow customers to view modernized content initially.
Clients that remain exposed to abundant of social media podiums’ brand messages are filtering
out contents which is irrelevant. Thus, provision of appropriate as well as updated content
remains amongst the most vital strategies for successfully managing a brand on social media.
Social media podium alongside content popularity amongst relatives, families and friends remain
the other significant reason for consumers to stay betrothed with brands on social sites. Because
there remain abundant of these social media podium and it remains infeasible to engage in each
of them, organizational marketers need to appraise their respective target audience as well as
make decision to partake in effective podiums for successful communication. Moreover, Kim
and Adler (2011) held that the provision of mobile application enables clients to involve with
brand each day and establish brand loyalty. Therefore;
H1: Customer brand loyalty remains positively impacted when brand is offering social
media advantageous campaigns
H2: Customer brand loyalty stays desirably impacted when brand is offering appropriate
social media contents
H3: Customer brand loyalties stays positively impacted when brand regularly updates its
contents on social media
H4: Customer brand loyalties remain positively impacted when brand is offering
contents which stay popular amongst friends, families and relatives on social media
H5: Customer brand loyalties remain positively impacted when brand is appearing on a
range of podiums and offering apps on social media

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Analysis
Data stood gathered via structured questionnaire’s administration with a 338 individual
who remained users of social media, as well as following at minimum, one brand on social site
podiums. Two filter queries stood utilized to ensure that participants qualified to get
encompassed in the study. A query asked if the participant stood utilizing social media beyond
once every seven days. The other query enquired if the participant followed at minimum a band
on social media. In case the responses to the two queries stood positive, then participant stood
provided questionnaire. A sample composed of sixty-two percent make and thirty-eight percent
female. The average of sample stood twenty-six. Nearly sixty percent of the respondents had
graduate or undergraduate educational level. Forty-two percent stood still learners.
A questionnaire stood established for measuring loyalty to brand, rationale for following
brands on social sites, alongside content categories posted on social sites. Brand loyalties stood
embraced from Lau and Lee study carried out in 1999) with 5 elements that clustered under a
single variable with the explained variance of seventy percent (KMO measure equals to 0.968;
Bartlett’s test of sphericity equals to 980.786, p<0.05). A brand loyalty measured elements
encompassed intention for interacting increasingly with additional brands via social media as
well as intent for recommending brand to friends. The questions for measuring rationale for
engagement with brands on social sites stood derived from review of literature. The items
encompassed advantageous campaigns, content relevancy, content frequent updates, content
popularity amongst other friends and users, and a range of podiums alongside apps given on
social media. Moreover, content categories scale stood formulated anchored on Smith’s 2009
report about social media and category kinds of picture, video as well as doc sharing websites.

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Findings
A hypothesized association stood tested utilizing stepwise-multiple regression. In the 1st
step, zero-order correlations amongst variables of research stood examined to determine the
association between them. Considering brand loyalties, advantageous campaigns alongside
content relevancies, showed greatest correlations with it in that order. Table 1 below exhibits the
results of stepwise regression analysis. Advantageous campaigns, content relevancy, content
popularity alongside amongst other friends and users, and an array of podium besides apps
availed on social site stood capable of substantially explicating thirty-eight percent of brand
loyalty variance. Put differently, advantageous campaigns (standardized regression
coefficient/beta=0.350; p<0.05); content relevancy (beta=0.166, p<0.05), content popularity
amongst other friends and users (beta=0.137), p<0.05), alongside a range of platforms besides
applications (beta=0.130, p<0.05) stood positively linked to loyalties to brand. The impact of
regular update of content stood diminished in this research.

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Source (Author’s creation)
The categories of content being shared on social sites stood mean rated in Table 2
alongside Friedman test outcomes remained provided. Based on Friedman test outcomes, there
remained a substantial variation among the shared content preferences. Moreover, the outcomes
indicated that music, instructional videos, funny contents alongside technological contents stood
frequently shared by clientele on social sites followed by astonishing movies, contents, product
and sports reviews. Conversely, the consumers never preferred sharing contents linked to self-
content materials, advertisements, horror alongside gaming.
Source: (Author’s creation)
Conclusion
This study aimed at comprehending the impact of SMM on loyalties to brand creation
from the standpoint of consumers. The outcomes of research remain held to place substantial
impact to literature and practice because SMM might be well-defined as a novel, yet fast rising

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podium for constructing association with clients and founding desirable brands image in their
perspective. As genuine for each non-conventional technique for marketing conversation social
site remains enthusiastically reconnoitered, digged-up as used by organizations. Thus,
exploration remains opportune as well as required in ensuring certain direction in such an
expedition.
The outcomes of this research showcases that social sites’ advantageous campaigns
remain the utmost important enabler of loyalties to brands followed by content relevancy,
content popularity amongst friends, alongside appearing on diverse social site platforms as well
as providing application. Companies which wish to run efficient social media campaigns need to
consider the values, benefits alongside advantages offered to consumers in campaigns, what
triggers customers tor more probably become brand loyalists. Brand loyalty amongst consumers
is further dictated positively by diverse platforms alongside applications which are offered by
brand on these social platforms, what could mean that customers stay asking for ingenious
rationales, varieties as well as variations for engagement with exciting applications, contents,
games, on social media to derive the interest of consumers.
This study further examined what kind of contents remained shared as well as preferred
by users of social media. The outcome means that the individuals are sharing funny contents,
music as extraordinary things virtually alongside instructive and technological information. The
users desist from sharing horror, sad events, or advertisements amongst one another. This might
culminate in thinking that social media remains a podium whereby individuals wish to entertain
themselves, spurt from harsh life realities, searching for sincerity as well as fun, and sharing info
and instructions amongst one another. Brands alongside campaigns around organizational brands
must remain fun, entertaining, performing whatever remaining brands never thought of whenever

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they are engaging with consumers on social site podiums. Instructional and info manuals
regarding brands might further be accorded in social media because info sharing is further a
significant enabler of engagement.
Content relevancy remained the 2nd most significant variable impacting loyalty to brand;
thus, organizations must always keep themselves updated regarding what clienteles stay
fascinated in, activity along with present standpoints in life. Organizations might undertake
qualitative study or observations to comprehend customers’ lifestyles alongside transfer this
knowledge on social sites. Word-of-mouth impact on marketing remains insignificant,
specifically in virtual surrounding. Thus, organizations are able to give incentives to users of
social sites to blowout the word regarding campaigns, existence, alongside content on social site
amongst aristocracies. Organizations can further sport opinion shapers in respective target
markets alongside recruiting purposely to converse regarding their campaigns hence pulling
individuals to engage with brands.
This remains a preamble work on impact of SMM on loyalties to grand. Scholars are
able to carry out additional studies to dig deeply into the impacts of diverse types of SMM on
consciousness of image, band as well as loyalties besides the effectiveness of effect of word-of-
mouth on SMM. Moreover, social site remains an increasingly vibrant as well as broadminded
podium. Thus, the efficient of each novel development on social media has to get probed as well
as measured to determine and apply eventual strategies of marketing. Because Web 3.0 era that
shows a prospective of changing the manner of business alongside features of social media
podium, is increasingly gaining traction, both academicians and practitioners might apply
research to unravel the feasible impacts of AI, online identities, cloud computing besides the
genuine web convergence, mobile devices alongside additional tools on loyalty to brand.

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References
Freidman, A. "Freshness Update+ Social Media= Happy Users." (2011).
Gunelius, Susan. 30-minute social media marketing. McGraw-Hill,, 2011.
Jackson, N. "Using Social Media to Build Brand Loyalty." The Atlantic (2011).
Jackson, Nicholas. "Infographic: Using social media to build brand loyalty." Retrieved
from (2011).
Keller, Kevin Lane, M. G. Parameswaran, and Isaac Jacob. Strategic brand management:
Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. Pearson Education India, 2011.
Leggatt, H. "Rebuild Brand Loyalty with Social Media, Bizreport." (2010).
McKee, S. "Creative B2B branding (no, really): Building a creative brand in a business world."
(2011): 303-305.