Social Media Essay

Submitted By zac12
Words: 5784
Pages: 24
Open Document
International Journal of Business and Management; Vol. 8, No. 14; 2013
ISSN 1833-3850
E-ISSN 1833-8119
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education

The Effects of Social Media Marketing on Online Consumer Behavior
Simona Vinerean1, Iuliana Cetina1, Luigi Dumitrescu2 & Mihai Tichindelean1
1

The Bucharest University of Economics Studies, Romania

2

Faculty of Economic Sciences, Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu, Romania

Correspondence: Simona Vinerean, The Bucharest University of Economics Studies, Romania. Tel:
40-744-563-510. E-mail: simonavinerean@gmail.com
Received: March 4, 2013 doi:10.5539/ijbm.v8n14p66 Accepted: May 20, 2013

Online Published: June 18, 2013

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v8n14p66

Abstract
Social media allows customers and prospects to communicate directly to your brand representative or about your brand with their friends. However, the obvious question is: who are the people interacting online and how engaged are they in online activities? This paper aims to answer this question based on a study regarding the online activities of 236 social media users, by identifying different types of users, a segmentation of these users and a linear model to examine how different predictors related to social networking sites have a positive impact on the respondents’ perception of online advertisements. The answer can help discover how to engage with different types of audiences in order to maximize the effect of the online marketing strategy.
Keywords: social media marketing, online consumer behavior, online segmentation, modeling online activities
1. Introduction
The Internet and especially social media have changed how consumers and marketers communicate. The Internet has distinct characteristics (Peterson et al., 1997), such as:
-

The ability to inexpensively store vast amounts of information at different virtual locations

-

The availability of powerful and inexpensive means of searching, organizing, and disseminating such information -

Interactivity and the ability to provide information on demand

-

The ability to serve as a transaction medium

-

The ability to serve as a physical distribution medium for certain goods (e.g. software)

-

Relatively low entry and establishment costs for sellers.

One of the advantages of internet is that it enables businesses to reach a worldwide customer population, so that customers can survey, select, and purchase products and services from businesses around the world (Al Kailani
& Kumar, 2011).
In particular, peer communication through social media, a new form of consumer socialization, has profound impacts on consumer decision making and thus marketing strategies.
Consumer socialization theory predicts that communication among consumers affects their cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes (Ward, 1974).
Social media, especially social networking sites, provide a virtual space for people to communicate through the
Internet, which also might be an important agent of consumer socialization.
With this research we provide insights to the social media literature and online consumer behavior, in general, and online socializing and interacting activities users engage with on a virtual platform, which are interesting for both academics and online marketing practitioners.
This paper provides a literature review of the evolution of social media marketing and segmentation of social media users from proeminent papers, and continues with a primary research. The aim of this research is to empirically investigate what type of social media users appreciate and have a positive outlook regarding advertising on social networking websites. Particularly, we consider a segmentation of social media users regarding their perceived importance of using social media, and these social media users represent students of
66

www.ccsenet.org/ijbm

International Journal of Business and
Show More

Related Documents: Social Media Essay

Media Impact On Social Media

Social media marketing is the activity of obtaining website traffic or capturing attention through social media sites. Social media marketing programs usually focus on efforts to create explosive and humorous content that attracts attention and encourages viewers and readers to share it across their social networks. This results in an electronic word of mouth commonly referred to as eWoM. It basically refers to any statement which the customers/consumers share via the Internet; maybe through instant…

Words 1747 - Pages 7

Media Influence On Social Media

influence social media on healthcare, financial, travel, and retail industries. Each of the participants were asked a question related to the different industries when it came to making purchases and the results were analyzed accordingly. The results were divided into Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. It was found that social media was influential among 40% of the participants in their travel related decision making scenarios. For the other 3 industries, social media…

Words 1145 - Pages 5

Essay on Social Media

Social Media’s Influence on Modern Society Lauren Lorenzo May 12, 2014 Com/172 Social Media’s Influence on Modern Society Social media has become a part of everyday life, and has caused various changes to society. Social media websites can be used for many different things, and all have many different uses and functions. It has become a primary outlet for communication on many different levels, and has ultimately transformed the way people live their lives…

Words 837 - Pages 4

Essay on Social Media

Australian and she was forced to withdraw. Another remarkable use of the social media was the altercation between supporters of the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra and the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. Bizarrely some of the Prime Minister’s staff were implicated but the result was an embarrassing retreat by them ordered by security. This all occurred in a very short period of time. In the upcoming social world, mobiles for all generations have become a necessity. Mobile phones…

Words 1826 - Pages 8

Importance Of Social Media

Powerful Strategies To Connect Your Website To Social Media The key to standing out and rank higher than your competitions is by increasing your web presence. Most businesses take advantage of social media sites since it has truly become one of the useful tools in letting people from across the globe know about a company and its products and services. A website that is prominently visible on search engines makes it easier for consumers to find the business while browsing the internet, thereby leading…

Words 1134 - Pages 5

Essay on social media

across the globe. There are many social media platforms that people use to communicate with each other. The younger generation today spend a lot of their time on Facebook. Unfortunately they might be using this social media to a disadvantage. College administrations are now looking at the profiles of their applicants. Organizations are also using the social media platforms to determine certain awards for their applicants. The ability to connect to any social media platform at the tip of our hands…

Words 639 - Pages 3

Role Of Social Media

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE PERCEPTIONS OF LOW YAT CRISIS 1.1 Introduction Social media has generally been understood as a form of electronic platform which allows users to interact, communicate and express their ideas or opinions anytime, everywhere. Currently, with the development of the technologies, social media has become vital and ubiquitous accessible. We are able to know and update what was happening around the world without direct experience it. If there were any natural disaster happened…

Words 1066 - Pages 5

Essay on Social Media

social media intends to reach to the masses and allow for a joint and inclusive means of interaction It offers an array of tools to reach out to people in all social and economic structures. It allows for large organizations to reach out to the public as a whole. It permits small companies to touch regions never before contemplated. It advances charities, education, political campaigns and business alike. It allows for rapid dissemination of news. It creates a means for research on topics…

Words 626 - Pages 3

Essay on social media

Intro. New media has played a significant key role in changing our way of life and way of thinking. The mass media has given each of us a platform to voice our opinions on all sorts of social and political issues to share information with one another. It has brought out an easy ways of communication and provided us with easily accessible means reach out to people in various parts of the world. For technological development we have been able to obtain a stand that enables us to present ourselves…

Words 1043 - Pages 5

Social Media Essay

Josebe Dominguez English 102 September 7, 13 In 250 words, discus your own experiences with social media ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MySpace), good and bad and in-between For me, social media has a positive side and a negative side. Social media has given me the chance to talk to my family and friends overseas. With Facebook, I can see pictures of my brother or video chat with my cousin in just one click. It is unbelievable how many massages I can send in just two minutes, anywhere and…

Words 313 - Pages 2