Objectives
This research aims at establishing the effects of using social media as a tool for marketing in small businesses. The research seeks to address the benefits associated with using social media to market a business. If there are no benefits then what are the limitations? If there are both benefits and limitations, which one outweighs the other? From these questions, we can then deduce the general effect of social media as a business marketing tool (Churchill and Iacobucci, 2010).
Methods of Research
In conducting the research, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of research will be used (Matthews and Ross, 2014).
Data from qualitative analysis describe the characteristics or qualities of a given phenomenon. It does not deduce these descriptions from numbers but instead uses human behavior, emotion and personality to give information about a certain product. Qualitative analysis requires flexibility to understand and give the adequate response depending on the data being acquired during an interview (Patton, 1990). It involves observation and documentation of the behavior, opinion, needs, patterns, and other important information without completely understanding which of the data is fully meaningful yet. This research will use qualitative methods to determine what the customers felt about social media marketing, if it changed their attitude regarding the product being marketed via social media, or if it had no influence at all on them (De Vries, Gensler and Leeflang, 2012).
Quantitative analysis provides numerical data. From this data, statistical analysis can be applied and conclusions constructed. Statistical analysis also allows for derivation of important factual research data such as preferential trends, demographics, and differences that occur between groups (Pickard, 2012). The study sample size can be varied depending on its statistical power. If a small sample size does not achieve any statistical significance, then it is advisable to expand the sample size. The sample size should not be too big to a point where the findings lose meaning. This research will use quantitative methods to determine whether there was an increase or decrease of customers, number of products sold, and if any profits or losses were realized after a given business started using social media marketing. The data can also be used to determine the age group or other characteristics of customers who might have been attracted or repelled using social media marketing (Hoffman and Fodor, 2010).
Reasons for Selection of Method
Qualitative method is used because of its creation of openness, provision of in-depth details, simulation of an individual’s experience, and attempts at avoiding pre-judgments of a person. It does this by creating a realistic feel of the world, contrary to what numerical data and statistical analysis offer. It provides more flexible ways for data collection, analysis and subsequent interpretation of the information that has been collected (Silverman, 2010). Qualitative analysis creates an interaction between research subjects on their own personal terms. This leads to the achievement of a descriptive capability on the basis of primary data that is unstructured. This way it creates an environment that is encouraging and makes it easier to explain why a particular response is given (Madrigal and McClain, 2012).
Quantitative method presents the research issue in very specific terms and gives more precise independent and dependent variables. It follows strictly initially set research goals thereby arriving at more objective conclusions, hypothesis tests and determination of the relationship between the causes and effects of a given phenomenon. Quantitative analysis gives reliable data due to controlled observations and mass surveys. Elimination or minimization of the subjectivity of judgment is also possible. Finally, the quantitative analysis allows for longitudinal measures of subsequent performance of research subjects (Neuman and Robson, 2012).
Sources of Data Collection
Both primary and secondary sources of data will be used. The primary source includes conducting a survey through questionnaires and interviews (De Vaus, 2013). The questionnaire could be web based in case of lack of access. As many as fifty questionnaires can be used. The questionnaires can be sent out for the client to answer at will and then returned back for analysis after a specified time, say 48 hours.
Interviews can also take place via telephone or emails in case of inaccessibility. The interviewees will include the users of the products and a representative of the management of the company that provides the product. The interviewees who are consumers could be divided into various age groups such as those who are 18-24, 24-40 and above 40 years old. This is due to the varying of social media use over varying age groups. The sample of interviewees should also be chosen from different backgrounds, professions, and geographical locations. The interviews can be designed to take approximately thirty minutes each to allow for a large sample of interviewees.
The use of a survey is preferable because of its popularity in business research and because it allows for the collection of quantitative data. It is also perceived as authoritative, meaning it gives unbiased information. Other aspects of conducting surveys are that the samples need to be representative, and data can be analyzed quantitatively (Rabinovich and Cheon, 2011).
The secondary sources include previous research data on the same topic found in the library, research journals, online articles and online books. Secondary sources have the added advantage of easy access, and low cost of acquisition since most of the material requires minimum or no payment at all to access.
Constraints and Ethical Issues
Some of the constraints faced while conducting surveys is the accessibility of interviewees due to long distances. This means having to conduct interviews through phone calls. This way it is difficult to tell the body language of the interviewee, and therefore, the data collected might not be accurate (King and Horrocks, 2010).
When filling up questionnaires or answering interview questions one might choose to withhold important information intentionally or tell a lie. This compromise the integrity of the data collected.
Some of the secondary resources consist of either poor quality research or incomplete information since most authors who write them are self-governed. Some of the material could also be outdated or fail to meet the needs of the research being conducted.
References
Churchill, G.A. and Iacobucci, D., 2010. Marketing research: methodological foundations.
De Vaus, D., 2013. Surveys in social research. Routledge.
De Vries, L., Gensler, S. and Leeflang, P.S., 2012. Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(2), pp.83-91.
Hoffman, D.L. and Fodor, M., 2010. Can you measure the ROI of your social media marketing?. MIT Sloan Management Review, 52(1), p.41.
King, N. and Horrocks, C., 2010. Interviews in qualitative research. Sage.
Madrigal, D. and McClain, B. (2012). Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative and Qualitative Research :: UXmatters. [online] Uxmatters.com. Available at: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2012/09/strengths-and-weaknesses-of-quantitative-and-qualitative-research.php [Accessed 28 Apr. 2016].
Matthews, B. and Ross, L., 2014. Research methods. Pearson Higher Ed.
Neuman, W.L. and Robson, K., 2012. Basics of social research: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Patton, M.Q., 1990. Qualitative evaluation and research methods . SAGE Publications, inc.
Pickard, A., 2012. Research methods in information. Facet publishing.
Rabinovich, E. and Cheon, S., 2011. Expanding horizons and deepening understanding via the use of secondary data sources. Journal of Business Logistics, 32(4), pp.303-316.
Silverman, D. ed., 2010. Qualitative research. Sage.
