Effect of Social Media Marketing on Online Consumer (A Case Study of Social Media Users in Ilorin)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page                                                                                                        i

Certification                                                                                                   ii

Dedication                                                                                                      iii

Acknowledgement                                                                                          iv

Table of Contents                                                                                           vi

List of Figure                                                                                                  ix

List of Tables                                                                                                  x

Abstract                                                                                                          xii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study                                                                           1

1.2 Statement of the Research                                                                        3

1.3 Research questions                                                                                   4

1.4 Research objectives                                                                                  5

1.5 Research hypotheses                                                                                5

1.6 Justification for the study                                                                         5

1.7 Scope of the study                                                                                    6

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Preamble                                                                                             7

2.2       Conceptual framework                                                                       7

2.2.1    Social media                                                                                       7

2.2.2    Social media marketing                                                                      10

2.2.3   The role of social media networks                                                      12

2.2.4    The power and value of social media networks                                 14

2.2.5    Social media metric                                                                            17

2.2.6    Offline versus Online network                                                           19

2.2.7    Social media as a means of giving consumers a voice                       21

2.2.8    Importance of social media monitoring and management tools        22

2.2.9    Social media as a means of giving consumers a voice                       23

2.2.10 Traditional advertising channels                                                         24

2.2.11   Type of social media                                                                         25

2.2.12   Social Network Sites                                                                         28

2.3       Theoretical Reviews                                                                           32

2.3.1   Social Exchange Theory                                                                      32

2.3.2 Social Penetration Theory                                                                     35

2.4   Empirical Review                                                                                   37

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1       Preamble                                                                                             40

3.2       Research design                                                                                  40

3.3       Population of the study                                                                       40

3.4       Sampling and sampling size                                                               41

3.5       Method of Data Collection                                                                 41                               

3.5.1    Method of Data Analysis                                                                    41                   

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1      Introduction                                                                                         43       

4.2       Demographic Characteristics of Respondents                                   43

4.3       Regression Analysis                                                                           62

4.4       Discussion of Findings                                                                       67

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       Preamble                                                                                             70

5.2       Summary of Finding                                                                          70

5.3       Conclusion                                                                                          71

5.4       Recommendation                                                                               72

References                                                                                         74

Appendix I                                                                                         79

Appendix II                                                                                       83

ABSTRACT

As noted in marketing and consumer behavior literature, information that consumers get from their interpersonal sources invariably influences their decisions towards whether to purchase a particular brand. Even though advertisement commercials and other non-personal messages are also significant in the development of consumer awareness towards brands, products or services, word-of-mouth (WOM)—which is known as an act of exchanging marketing information among different customers—has been seen to play an even more critical role in changing consumer behavior and attitude toward different products and services. This study therefore seeks to investigate the effect of social media on online consumers. In order to attain this objective, the study focused on students of college management science in Al-Hikmah University Ilorin who are the users of selected social media platforms (such as instagram, Facebook, Twitter and BBM) as a case study. Convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample from the population of 911 college of management sciences students who are users of social media.With the aid ofthe sample size of 337was determined. Data were analyzed using frequency table, correlation and regression was used in testing the research hypotheses. The findings indicated that social media serves as a credible source for consumers’ decision making therefore social media marketing significantly affect online consumers decision. It was also discovered that social media have significant impact in communicating company product/brand to consumer. It was then recommended from the result of findings that Managers should be aware of the importance of social media sites in influencing online shopping by identifying and targeting different types of customers and taking initiatives to recognize and highlight customer interests.