BUS020C415S Social Media Marketing Assignment Level 5

Aim

The aim of research is “To identify the influence of social media marketing on customers for Tesco.

Objectives

• To identify the meaning of social media marketing
• To assess the influence of social media marketing on consumers of Tesco
• To examine the challenges and demerits of social media marketing
• To recommend ways to improve social media marketing

Research Questions

1. What is the meaning of social media marketing?
2. How social media marketing influence the consumers of Tesco?
3. What are the challenges and demerits of social media marketing?

Rationale of Study

Researcher in order to enhance his or her level of knowledge in field of digital technologies and its implications on organisation has selected the particular topic. This research will provide an opportunity to researcher through which he or she can gather information regarding social media marketing used by the organisation. Researcher will also get an opportunity to get familiar with Tesco which is one of the leading organisations of United Kingdom.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Meaning of social media marketing

Stelzner, (2014) elucidated that social media marketing refers to the practice in which business organisations promotes their products and services using online social media platforms. These platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, etc. In the analysis, it was identified that approximately 2 billion people are registered on one or many social media websites. These websites help users to interact, communicate and share knowledge with each other. Ashley and Tuten, (2015) said that social media marketing transforms the perception of management of business organisation drastically. Through social media marketing approach, managers able to transmit organisational product information to large number of users who very easily and efficiently. This not only aid in reducing the time and cost of organisation but also helps in enhancing the profits and customer base. Social media marketing is considered as the latest trend through which marketers of today's organisation able to promote their goods and services effectively and efficiently. Shaikh and et.al., (2016) explained that through social media advertising, marketers able to enhance their marketing activities and able to attract adequate number of users.

Social media marketing indeed helps in gaining competitive advantages to all industries and organisations. Whether small or large, every organisation has been benefited from social media marketing. Chaffey, (2016) argued that digital marketing strategies have transformed the perception of marketers and assists management to attract their target customers. Though digital marketing strategies are not reliable in those areas where there is lack of digital development. These areas include rural areas, villages, etc. Thus, organisations should not only be relied on digital marketing tactics such as social media marketing. Chang, Yu and Lu, (2015)elaborated that social media marketing is a type of internet marketing which uses the benefits of social networking sites as a tool in promoting websites, thus increasing traffic towards them and learning from users’ direct reactions. The core objective of social media marketing is to enhance communication with users and enlarge brand visibility so that more customers would be able to know about organisational products and services. Thus, social media marketing is the new approach for marketers of today's organisation. Social media marketing offers marketers a platform on which they can advertise their products and services in an effective and efficient manner.

Influence of social media marketing on consumers

On social media networking websites like Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, etc. billions of users are activate who uses such sites in order to interact and communicate with each other. In light of this statement, Felix, Rauschnabel and Hinsch, (2017) clarified that through social media marketing management of business corporations able to enhance their customer base and profits simultaneously. Social media marketing influenced customers greatly as majority of customers have social media account. Godey and et.al,. (2016) said that it merely depends upon the quality of content that attracts the consumer towards online commercial. If the content quality is precise than more and more customers will attract towards the promotion and if the quality of content is not good, users won't even bother to look at it. Thus, it is essential for the marketers to focus on the quality of content in order to influence customer decisions. Hyder, (2016) said that billions of users get to know about the particular organisations through social media marketing. As social media platform like YouTube and Facebook provides opportunities to organisations to create their own account and promote about their products and services at reasonable cost. Thus, social media marketing helps the organisations to enhance their promotions and commercial in order to attract more and more number of consumers. Constantinides, (2014) said that social media works well with most groups especially with millennial. Authors identified that in United States of America ,56 per cent of consumers purchasing baby products were influenced by social media, compared to 40 per cent for home furnishing, 33 per cent for health and wellness and 32 per cent for automotive. The data shows that social media greatly influence the customers. Through social media marketing, marketers able to promote and advertise their products and services to large amount of population effectively and efficiently. Zhu and Chen, (2015) argued that albeit social media marketing helps in increasing brand visibility but also contributes in degrading brand reputation. There are numerous disadvantages of using social media as a marketing tool. Users can put negative comments on organisation if they are dissatisfied with the products or services and other users can view it. Secondly, any wrong interpretation of promotion might impact on psychology of consumers and they tend to boycott the organisation. In light of this statement, Tuten and Solomon, (2017) said that it is the duty and responsibility of marketing manager of particular organisation to check the promotional content before posting or uploading it on social media.

Challenges of social media marketing

There are approximately 2.307 billion active social media users around the world which implied that one third of earth population is on social media. Marketers of today's organisations considered social media as a boon. It helps in increasing brand visibility, consumer base and profits. However, in deeper context, marketers faced numerous challenges too. According to Armstrong and et.al., (2015) making authentic connection with audience is one of the challenge faced by the marketers. There are too many users active on social media and it becomes difficult for the marketers to formulate authentic and real relationship with the customers. In order to overcome this challenge it is important for the organisation to connect with audience by using low cost brand monitoring tools so that they can respond to every customer’s issues and difficulties. Stelzner, (2014) elaborated that formulating precise social media strategies is another challenge faced by the organisation. Social media marketing is not as easy as it looks. A marketer needs to devise precise strategies so that their aim and objectives of social media marketing can be accomplished effectively and efficiently. Ashley and Tuten, (2015) elaborated that coming up with consistently good content is yet another issue that affects the social media marketing. Consumers are now getting bored of same old school content and want some unique and interactive content. Managing social media is extremely time-consuming process and staying creating and original one is toughest job in social media marketing. Thus, organisations face this challenge which affects the social media marketing process. Shaikh and et.al., (2016)said that getting content to a large social audience is another challenge and issue faced by the organisation. In order to sustain in the competitive environment it is essential for the business organisations to make use of social media for promoting goods and services effectively and efficiently. In order to do that the marketers needs to focus on their marketing strategies and deliver their content to larger audiences.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is also considered as a framework of study. In this section, researcher will elucidate the research methods he or she will going to use in order to accomplish the aim and objectives of study. The research methodology is described below:

Research Philosophy: Research philosophy is the values, belief or way, through which a researcher collect, analyse and interprets research data. Research philosophy is classified into four types, which are positivism, interpretvitism, pragmatism and realism (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015). In the present research study, researcher will use interpretvitism research philosophy. As interpretive researcher will involves humans as a part of research and analyse the data thoroughly and effectively.

Research Approach: Discussing research approach while carrying out research study is essential and important. Research approach refers to plans which consist of steps that show the broad assumptions established by the researcher to methods of collection of data. In the present research study, researcher will use inductive research approach in order to carry out the research study. The reason for using inductive approach is that it will help researcher to answer the research questions efficiently.

Research Design: Research design refers to the plan through which researcher able to attempt the questions of research (Mackey and Gass, 2015). In the present research study, researcher will use descriptive research approach in order to attempt the research questions.

Research Strategy: Research strategy is the plan which helps researcher to attain the aim and objectives of study. There are different types of research study which conducted by researchers such as qualitative, quantitative, coherent, etc (Lewis, 2015). In the present research, the researcher will use quantitative research method. It will help researcher to analyse the numerical data effectively and efficiently.

Data Collection: Data collection is crucial as well as essential process in the research study. There are two sources from where researcher collects data. In the present study, researcher will collect data from primary source (Flick, 2015). With the help of questionnaire, researcher will able to collect relevant data. The questionnaire will be provided to managers of Tesco, UK and close-ended questions will be asked.

Sampling: Sampling is the process where researcher takes out sample of smaller population from large pool. As conducting survey with larger population is not feasible for any researcher thus researcher do sampling. Through simple random sampling method, researcher will conduct survey with 15 managers working at Tesco. The questionnaire will be provided to them.

Data Analysis: Data analysis is the process of analysing and interpreting the collected data in most precise and appropriate way (Silverman, 2016). In the present research study, researcher will use thematic analysis in order to interpret the collected data.

Ethical Consideration: Following ethical norms and conduct is rudimentary for researcher. In the present research study, researcher will ensure to explain the motive of study. Furthermore, the anonymity of participants will be maintained in the resea

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