RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Title of the proposal : The Role of Social Media in Marketing strategies,

From businesses reaching out to customers to businesses pulling the customers in Mumbai
Suburban.

Name of the Student : Farheen Sadique Ali Shaikh

Name of Research Guide : Dr. Prashant Bhagat

Name of College : Chetana Hazarimal Somani College of Commerce

Contact No. : +91 9224773973

Class and Semester : M.com Sem III

Date of Submission :

Signature of Candidate : __________________________

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 1. INTRODUCTION

What Is Social Media?

Social media is a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas,

thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. By
design, social media is Internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of
content. Content includes personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage
with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or
applications. The largest social media networks include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
YouTube, and WhatsApp. Social media typically features user-generated content and
personalized profiles.

Understanding Social Media :

Social media originated as a way to interact with friends and family but was later
adopted by businesses that wanted to take advantage of a popular new communication
method to reach out to customers. The power of social media is the ability to connect and
share information with anyone on Earth, or with many people simultaneously. Globally, there
are more than 3.8 billion social media users. Social media is an ever-changing and ever-
evolving field, with new apps such as TikTok and Clubhouse coming out seemingly every
year, joining the ranks of established social networks like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and
Instagram.

Social media has changed the way that we all interact with each other online. It's
given us the ability to discover what's happening in the world in real-time, to connect with
each other and stay in touch with long-distance friends, and in order to have access to endless
amounts of information at your fingertips. In many senses, social media has helped many
individuals find common ground with others online, making the world seem more
approachable.

Businesses are also using social media marketing to target their consumers right on
their phones and computers, building a following in order to build a loyal fan base, and create
a culture behind their own brand. Some companies, such as Denny's, have created entire
personas on Twitter in order to market to younger consumers using their own language and
personas.

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 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1. Mr. Jaysing Bhosale and Dr. R.G. Phadtar (2020) in thier research paper title
“Usage of Social Media Marketing for Small Business: A comparative analysis of
various actions on Social Media”. This research paper provides insight into social
media literature and online consumer behavior with respect to the use of social media
in small businesses. Also the paper tries to identify and analyze the reasons or actions
that prompt consumers to follow or unfollow a particular Brand on social media

2. Nya Gibson (2018) in his research paper title “An Analysis of the Impact of Social
Media Marketing on Individuals’ A Individuals’ Attitudes and Perceptions”.
According to the results from this study, purchasing behavior is more likely to have a
positive effect for a business when using social media platforms for marketing
strategies. This iii conclusion emphasizes the importance of social media marketing
for a positive increase in brand loyalty, brand recognition, and foot traffic.

3. Brendan James Keegan and Jennifer Rowley (2017) contributes to knowledge

regarding social media marketing strategy by developing a stage model of SMM
evaluation and uncovering the challenges in this process. The research paper has
developed a Social Media Marketing Evaluation framework. This framework has the
following six stages: setting evaluation objectives, identifying key performance
indicators (KPIs), identifying metrics, data collection and analysis, report generation
and management decision m aking. Moreover, the paper also identifies and discusses
challenges associated with each stage of the framework with a view to better
understanding decision making associated with social media strategies. Two key
challenges depicted by the study are the agenc y-client relationship and the available
social analytics tools.

4. David Wicks (2015) on his report title “Role of Social Media Marketing in
Business”. In his report he stated that Creating and developing a website is important
for any business. Along with having a website, you need to expand your online
outreach to social media platforms. Social networking sites such as Twitter and
Facebook are essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Companies that do not
have active social media accounts risk missing out on numerous marketing
opportunities.

5. Ms.Kusum and Sanjay Kumar (2016) in their journal title “ROLE OF SOCIAL
MEDIA IN PROMOTING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN MARKETING”.
In their journal they define social media as a web instrument of communication and in
practice is defined as "a group of Internetbased applications. Basically social media is
computer-mediated that allow people to create and share ideas and pictures/videos etc.
in virtual communities and network.Social media have proved as low-cost tools that
are used to combine technology and the social interactions. A study in 2008 revealed

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 that 69% of B2B buyers use social media to assist them in business development and
decision making. As per CNET 2013 report, as on December 31, 2012, there were
1.06 billion monthly active users (MAU) of Facebook.

3. PROBLEM OF STUDY
The purpose of this present study is to investigate the Role of social media marketing on
individuals’ and small scale businesses attitudes and perceptions. More specifically, this
study will examine the perceptions of social media marketing and how it affects purchasing
decisions. Although several researches that have been conducted on the effects of social
media marketing on financial gains, the study’s interests are specifically geared towards the
examined effects of the use of social media on brand awareness and customer loyalty, which
essentially could lead to an increase in business revenue. The study will be conducted via
surveys on social media presence of businesses and individuals.

4 - RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• To understand and study reasons for usage of social network marketing

• To study the diffrent promotional strategies of small scale businesses.

• To study various factors contributing to consumers’ purchases on the social media

platform.

• To suggest strategies to bridge the gap between expectation and performance to

improve its effectiveness.

5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

5.1 Type of Research

In order to the objectives, descriptive research design is used here focus is on survey and fact
finding enquiries through structured questionnaire. The study makes use of quantitative
research approach as it allows the researcher to examine relationships among variable.

5.2 Type and Source of Data

The present study is based on primary data and secondary data. The primary data was
collected by structured questionnaire. Open and close ended questions were asked in the
questionnaire to get the answers of those questions, which were related to the objectives laid
down in the study. Secondary data is collected from various websites and research papers.

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5.3 Target Population and Sample size

80 social media users will be taken as a sample for research by sending them a questionnair..

5.4 Sampling method

The sampling technique followed was convenience sampling method.

5.5 Area of study

The research will be conducted in Mumbai suburban only.

5.6 Statistical Tools Use

Graphs and pie chart will be used to analysis and interpretation of data.

6. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The findings of this study will contribute to the development of technology marketing
structures throughout businesses, considering that social media plays a vital role in customer
equity and profits in businesses today. With technology and social media being so prevalent
in today’s society, it is important for businesses to keep up with the current trends that could
potentially have their businesses booming. The results from this study may aid businesses in
their social media marketing efforts, and potentially support future success. This study may
help discover areas that may be weak when using social media marketing for business. For
business owners, this study may serve as a guide for stronger approaches in social media
marketing.

7. SCOPE OF STUDY

The present research study is restricted to the beneficiaries availing social media services in
Mumbai Subarban from last 10 years. For the collectiuon of the primary data the study will
be confined in the users of social media users only. This sytudy will be considered a few
items such as promtion and marketing strategies, customer satisfaction, brand awareness etc.

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 8. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study has some limitations, which means the findings need to be carefully analyzed.

● Only 80 participants who use social media regularly will be evaluated

● Not enough time is devoted to each respondent

● The research is limited to Mumbai subarban only.

9. CONCLUSION

The findings of this study revealed that social media not only provides direct interaction

with customers, but it also rewards businesses with customer loyalty. It can be concluded that

social media can help maintain the relationships built between businesses and their
prospective

customers and guide them into profitable ventures.

● Most consumers look to social media for products or services a business offers

● On average, people spend 3 or more hours on social media on a daily basis

● Social media marketing is an important factor for customer loyalty and purchasing

decisions

Although business can survive without social media, in the 21st century, having a social

media presence has proven to improve customer loyalty, purchase decisions and business

revenue significantly

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