Social Media Marketing: Business Promotion Strategies in Singapore

This report explores the effectiveness of social media as a business promotion tool in Singapore. It examines the increasing importance of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in marketing strategies. The research employs a positivism philosophy, using primary and secondary data to analyze social media marketing strategies. Findings indicate a positive relationship between increased brand awareness and the use of Facebook retargeting. The report recommends that companies in Singapore utilize social media channels for content promotion and track competitors for insights into brand promotional strategies. It also addresses challenges faced by marketers and provides recommendations for leveraging social media channels effectively to influence consumer purchase decisions.

Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Social Media as an Effective Tool for Promotion of Business in Singapore
Name of the University:
Name of the Student:
Authors Note:

1SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Executive Summary
In the era of increasing social media platform existence such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram
and Twitter, social media marketing has evolved as a vital part of the marketing strategy
employed by the companies. The relevance of the current research was to generatea fair along
with a comprehensive overview regarding the topic that the use of social media in the business
promotion in the consumer businesses within Singapore.
From analysing the research methodology section, it has been gathered that the research was
strictly accomplished through employing positivism philosophy as it is greatly centred on the
empirical nature of the collected data. The research has employed an investigative approach to
using primary and secondary data.
The independent variables include social media marketing strategies through Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The data analysis findings have facilitated in
explaining the relationship between the variable and the independent variables. From analysing
the correlations table it has been observed that increased brand awareness among target
consumers has indicated a positive relationship with the use of Facebook retargeting has
facilitated in creation of custom audiences and increased brand engagement.
Though employing the available social media marketing channels, the companies in Singapore
can facilitate content promotion related its offered products and services. In attaining a
competitive edge, these companies are also recommended to track its competitors in order to
attain insight on theory brand promotional strategies on the social media channels.

2SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Acknowledgment
I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my committee chair Professor, who has the
attitude and the substance of a genius: he continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of
adventure in regard to research and scholarship and an excitement in regard to teaching. Without
his guidance and persistent help, this dissertation would not have been possible.

3SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................5
1.1. Research Background.......................................................................................................5
1.2. Research Relevance..........................................................................................................6
1.3. Research Aim and Objectives...............................................................................................7
1.4. Research Hypotheses............................................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................9
2.1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................9
2.2. Concept of Business Promotion............................................................................................9
2.3. Concept of Social Media as a Business Promotion Tool....................................................15
2.4. Social Media Use as Business Promotion Tool in Singapore.............................................17
2.5. Research Gap......................................................................................................................19
2.6. Conceptual Framework.......................................................................................................20
2.7. Summary.............................................................................................................................22
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................23
3.1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................23
3.2. Research Philosophy...........................................................................................................23
3.3. Research Approach.............................................................................................................24
3.4. Research Strategy...............................................................................................................24

4SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
3.5. Research Design.................................................................................................................25
3.6. Data Collection...................................................................................................................25
3.7. Data Analysis......................................................................................................................26
3.8. Sampling.............................................................................................................................26
3.9. Reliability and Validity.......................................................................................................27
3.10. Ethical Consideration........................................................................................................28
3.11. Summary...........................................................................................................................28
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion................................................................................................29
4.1. Findings and Results...........................................................................................................29
4.2. Discussion...........................................................................................................................39
Chapter 5: Conclusion, Recommendations and Limitations.........................................................46
5.1. Conclusion..........................................................................................................................46
5.2. Recommendations...............................................................................................................50
5.3. Limitations..........................................................................................................................53
References......................................................................................................................................54
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................61
Appendices....................................................................................................................................65
Interview Questionnaire for One Brand Promotion Manager...................................................65
Survey Questionnaire for 20 Employees...................................................................................65

5SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL

6SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Research Background
With the increasing modern age along with technological innovations, the application of
social media has increased in a proportionate manner. This implementation of social media
within the business organizations has been considered all through the world. Businessproducts
and servicespromotionby means of the social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn can
ensure increased participation along with the loyalty of the target consumers (Ainin et al. 2015).
It can also support the consumers in recognizing the myriads brands long with several policies of
the business enterprises. Within Singapore, the implementation of social media can facilitate in
developing innovative business models for the companies. The current researches have also
indicated that within Singapore, the suitable employment of the social media promotional tool
and facilitate in the promotion of the respective companies along with its brands. This is
indicated in case of the implementation of social media platforms by Starbucks within
Singapore(Andrews and Shimp 2017). The social media tool has facilitated Starbucks in
Singapore in attaining data regarding consumer management along with satisfaction. Moreover,
it has also been observed that the suitable implementation of social media as a promotional tool
for the businesses also relies on the existing political restrictions as well as ambiance.
Social media is turning out to be an increasingly vital process of business marketing along
with client-based development platform. The perception of the social media marketing has
changed rapidly to have flexible along with properly managed presence within each of the big
three (Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus) has turned out to be any business seeking to attain a
secured place within the digital and traditional marketplace (Asamoah 2019). It has been

7SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
analysed that 94% of the business with a marketing department employed social media as part of
their marketing platform. More than 60% of the marketers of Singapore are devoting the
equivalent of a full workday to social media marketing maintenance and development. It has also
been observed that the businesses have a dedicated social media platform as a part of their
marketing and business promotion strategy that reported an increase within their marketing
exposure (Bansal and Kumar 2016). Through offering the business brand with suitable social
media-based promotional tools, the companies can attain competitive advantages in attaining
increased profit along with connecting with new consumers in a better manner along with
serving them at a higher level. This also makes the digital marketing of the companies simpler.
For this reason, in promoting their brand the retailers and the marketers must consider using
social media networking sites effectively and professionally. This promotional tool can serve as a
media to reach their consumers along with offering a new shopping experience (Baptista et al.
2017).
1.2. Research Relevance
The relevance of the current research is to generate a fair along with a comprehensive
overview regarding the topic that the use of social media in the business promotion in the
consumer businesses within Singapore. The research has also the relevance of establishing the
effective research objectives which can be attained within the research. In consideration to same,
it shall be endeavoured to develop to research hypotheses that are relied on the recognized
objectives (BİLGİN 2018). The research also carried out an in-depth analysis of the investigative
techniques along with approaches that were employed for the research purpose. The research has
also endeavoured to focus on several approaches that were employed in collecting data along
with the methods which were employed in interpreting and decided the attained data. The

8SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
significance of the researchwas also used to analyse the myriad ethical issues that were faced by
the researchers in carrying out the researchers. In addition, the research has also considered
offering effective implications in carrying out the analysis of the time plan and along with that
the primary and secondary resources to be employed during the process of research (Cardon and
Marshall 2015).
The current research offered useful implications in resolving issues faced by marketers in
employing social media tools for supporting their business promotion. This is for the reason that
the consumers in the current market are turning out to be highly information-savvy regarding
specific services or product offerings before they take a purchase decision. Certain social media
promotion asked features such as peer review, critics’ opinion within the networking sites are
turning out to be highlyinfluential factors within the decision making rather than conventional
sales promotion and advertising (Chawinga 2017). In the recent years, the consumers have the
power to discuss a brand along with its offerings along with having the right to post their opinion
on the same within an organization’s web page along with social media networking sites. For this
reason, the research has offered effective recommendations in facilitating the companies and
marketers in Singapore to accept the impact of social media marketing. Due to such increased
influence on consumers purchase decision making focussed on the companies social media
promotional messages, the marketers in Singapore must focus on leveraging suitable social
media channels in the best possible manners (Chung and Cho 2017).
1.3. Research Aim and Objectives
The aim of the research is to analyse the role of social media as an effective tool in
promoting business within Singapore. The objectives that are to be addressed through the
completion of the research are explained below:

9SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
 To recognize and define the social media concept in association with the business
promotion
 To recognize the relationship between the importance of social media as an efficient tool
in promoting businesses in Singapore
 To analyse the problems which can be faced at the time of implementing the application
of the social media application within Singapore
 To recommend ways in which social media promotional channels can be employed by
the business organizations in Singaporethrough decreasing the issues that can be faced
while implementation of the same.
1.4. Research Hypotheses
The research hypotheses those are to be tested through the completion of the research
analysis are indicated below:
 H0: Social media does not act as an efficient tool in business organizations of Singapore
as a promotional tool
 H1: Social media acts as an efficient tool in the promotional activities of businesses in
Singapore

10SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1. Introduction
Dahl (2018) revealed that in the fast-changing business era, the marketers and the
business owners required keeping themselves updated with certain changes in the business
environment or they might deal with risks related with maintaining business sustainability. In the
era of increasing social media platform existence such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and
Twitter, social media marketing has evolved as a vital part of the marketing strategy employed
by the companies. Djafarova and Trofimenko (2018) added that it is difficult to consider
marketing strategy development without considering the relevance of social media.
Implementing certain type of online promotion by means of social media has turned out to be
important for all the business organizations. Within an industry where there is constant change in
trends, implementation of social media marketing is important for organizations to survive
within the fiercely competitive working environment (Duffett 2017). It has also been revealed
that most of the existing researchers have attempted to analyse the relevance and effectiveness of
social media as a business promotion and marketing tool. Considering the same, the literature
review section explains various concepts related to social media promotional tools and their
contribution to organizations in Singapore in promoting their businesses.
2.2. Concept of Business Promotion
Flanigan and Obermier (2016) revealed that business promotion includes one of the most
vital parts of several business processes. In promoting a business it is important for the
companies to focus on future development and business enterprises sustainability. Businesses
can also be promoted by several means and social media is one of the most vital tools that are

11SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL
available for business endeavours promotion. As depicted by the term, consumer businesses
referto the business enterprises that address the aspirations and needs of the customers. Gavurova
et al. (2018) indicated that the business promotion is referred to the collated processes which are
involved in promoting several names along with achievements of the business endeavours in
order to attain increased consumer support along with consumer reliance on the company or the
brand. These researchers conducted studies explaining the fact that business promotion also
explains the sales promotion idea. Haro-de-Rosario, Sáez-Martín and del Carmen Caba-Pérez
(2018) added that the existing products have also revealed that the business promotional
activities idea is reliant on the business surrounding. For example, several small along with
medium-sized companies are devoid of resources that can be used to promote businesses. It has
also been revealed that it is needed to be accepted that the business or the brand promotion
activities are focused on target groups by several communication means.
Business promotional activities are also relied on the factors related to the
advertisements, increasing awareness regarding numerous factors related to business endeavours.
Harrison et al. (2017) indicated that in order to sell and market the products, it is important for
the consumer business organizations to engage along with being indulged in promotion and sales
of the activities of business promotions. It is also to be mentioned that getting involved within
the business promotion conducts can facilitate the managers in developing a strong bond with the
consumers those can be properly versed with several advantages and changes in sales promotion
along with business promotional activities. These researchers also indicated that getting involved
in the business promotional activities can facilitate the managers in developing an effective bond
with the consumers those can be well versed with several changes along with advantages of one
brand in comparison to another. Ho et al. (2017) indicated that business promoting along with