Module Guide: Research Methods

Module Code: BA60082O

Title: The Influence of Social Media Marketing on Customer Loyalty in the Technology
Industry: An Analysis of Amazon as a Case Study
Student Name:
Student ID:

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Table of Contents

A1: Written assignment..............................................................................................................3

Introduction...............................................................................................................................3

Background to the Project......................................................................................................3

Research Rationale with Justification....................................................................................3

Literature review........................................................................................................................5

Introduction............................................................................................................................5

Loyalty in the Technology Industry.......................................................................................5

The Evolution of Social Media Marketing in the Technology Sector...................................5

Consumer Behavior and the Digital Era: Implications for Social Media Marketing.............6

Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing in Building Customer Loyalty.............................6

Challenges and Opportunities in Social Media Marketing for Technology Companies.......6

Measuring Customer Loyalty Impact: Metrics and Methodologies......................................7

Conclusion..............................................................................................................................7

Intended Research Methodology...............................................................................................8

Introduction............................................................................................................................8

Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................8

Research Approach................................................................................................................8

Research Method....................................................................................................................8

Sources of Data......................................................................................................................8

Data Collection Technique.....................................................................................................8

Data Analysis Techniques......................................................................................................8

Sampling Technique...............................................................................................................9

Consideration of Ethics..........................................................................................................9

Limitations of this Study........................................................................................................9

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Resources Required and Action Plan......................................................................................10

Gantt chart............................................................................................................................11

References................................................................................................................................12

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A1: Written assignment

Introduction
The tech business is always changing, and now people are interested in how customer trust
and social media marketing work together (Rahimiparvar, 2014). In this light, this study
looks into the complicated aspects of this relationship using Amazon as a unique case study
because it is known for coming up with new ideas.

Background to the Project

Throughout history, social media sites have completely changed how tech companies interact
with their customers (Kauffmann, 2020). The study of the link between social media
marketing and customer trust becomes more important when looking at Amazon, a company
known for being on the cutting edge of new ways of doing things in the highly competitive
technology industry.

Research Rationale with Justification

The importance of understanding how social media marketing works to build and keep
customer trust in a world where people's habits are changing all the time is emphasized by the
study reasoning. To put this into perspective, the research is deeply rooted in Amazon and
acts as a prime example (Vollero, 2023). Insights that could help technology companies make
smart decisions in this constantly changing environment are the main goal.
Exploring the main aspects of the tech industry sheds more light on the complex factors that
affect competition and profits. Furthermore, the industry is marked by fast technological
progress, where constant new ideas drive competition, forcing businesses to be at the
forefront of adopting and applying new technologies (Yadav, 2018). Technology companies'
ability to reach customers all over the world makes the battle tougher while also opening up
new markets (Ayci, 2022). This means that businesses need to have effective global plans
(Mishra, 2018). Thirdly, the industry's focus on the customer reminds us that customer tastes
have a big impact on product development and marketing strategies. Building and keeping
customer trust has become essential for long-term success.
The technology industry's tendency for products to have short lifecycles is another important
factor (Ritala, 2014). Companies have to carefully handle their product ranges to stay
competitive because goods become outdated very quickly (Ritala, 2014). Intense competition

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from many players fighting for market share also makes the competitive scene tougher
(Rahimiparvar, 2014). Making money requires differentiating products and using smart
marketing strategies. Lastly, governmental hurdles are big, and following the updated rules is
seen as necessary. Regulations must be followed carefully because not doing so can hurt
operations and the image of a brand.

Aim and objectives

Aim
The goal of this research is to conduct a comprehensive examination and analysis of the
impact that social media marketing has on consumer loyalty in the technology sector.
Objectives
 To evaluate how Amazon's use of social media for marketing affects how its
customers feel about the company and how loyal they are to it.
 To discover what's important and make social media ads that connect with tech-savvy
people and build trust that lasts.
 To evaluate how content made by social network users affects people's loyalty to tech
brand.

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Literature review
Introduction
This detailed literature review uses Amazon as an example to show how customer trust and
social media marketing are connected in the fast-paced tech industry (Kauffmann, 2020).
Through this in-depth study, we have learned a lot of different things that we are now trying
to put together. You can now see how complicated the connections and results are between
using social media and getting customers to trust you.
The tech business is having a big year this year because customer habits are changing quickly
and new technologies are coming out. Learn how to use social media for business. This is
becoming more and more important. Amazon has been a leader in this area for a long time
and does it very well. In what ways has social media marketing changed over time? How
should people act differently now that we live in a digital world? What kind of progress have
you made in getting and keeping customers' trust (Yadav, 2018)? This review also takes a
close look at the problems and chances tech companies face when they sell on social media.
This gives us a more complete picture of how Amazon works.
By going into these problems in more detail, this literature review tries to help tech
companies figure out how to deal with today's complicated customer situations. This study
wants to give useful insights that go beyond usual methods by taking a close look at a number
of different points of view (Yadav, 2018). After this, we will fully understand how customer
trust and social media marketing work together in the tech business.

Loyalty in the Technology Industry

Several books have been written about how hard it is to build trust with customers in the tech
industry through social media marketing. This book uses Amazon as an example to look at
these books. The goal of this in-depth study is to put together different pieces of information
and knowledge that have already been gathered in order to build a strong base for
understanding the complex links and their outcomes.

The Evolution of Social Media Marketing in the Technology Sector

This has totally changed how people talk and work together (Ayci, 2022). It was first thought
of as a new way to talk to people and a spot for businesses to share their thoughts (Ritala,
2014). That thought has changed, though, because social media is now a strong and flexible

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way to not only share information but also build your business and connect with people in a
deep and meaningful way.
A good example of this is Smith and Zook (2017), who did a lot of research on how
important social media platforms are in creating the complicated ties between brands and
customers in the tech industry (Mishra, 2018). It's important to remember that these platforms
aren't just one-way channels of information; they're also places where people can connect
with each other and shape the story around a brand (Amazon, 4322). This kind of active
participation has become a key part of how tech companies connect with their customers in a
way that is more human and emotional.
When it comes to technology, the growth of social media marketing is basically a change
from one-way communication to dynamic, two-way communication that gives customers
more power to shape the brand story (Mishra, 2018). It's not just traditional marketing
strategies that have been changed by social media (Rahimiparvar, 2014). Technology
companies now have more ways than ever to connect with their customers in a real way and
adapt to that constantly changing digital world.

Consumer Behavior and the Digital Era: Implications for Social Media Marketing
As customer behavior changes in the digital age, the way social media marketing works
becomes very important (Ritala, 2014). The 2017 works of Kapoor and Vij show how digital
encounters are changing customer tastes and forcing businesses to rethink their marketing
strategies (Study of a Sample of 402 University Students Enrolled in International Programs
in Thailand, 4027). When you look at this in the context of Amazon, you can learn a lot about
how the e-commerce giant handles changing customer habits through its smart social media
efforts.

Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing in Building Customer Loyalty

A lot of researchers, like Wang and Kim (2017), have looked into how well social media
marketing works to build and keep customer trust (Mishra, 2018). The review shows different
aspects of social media interaction, like how interactive, helpful, and personalized it is, and
how they have a big effect on building long-lasting relationships with customers (Vollero,
2023). By looking at Amazon's plans in this way, tech companies that want to increase
customer engagement through smart social media use can learn a lot.

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Challenges and Opportunities in Social Media Marketing for Technology Companies
A thorough analysis of the literature looks at the pros and cons of tech companies using social
media for business purposes (Yadav, 2018). According to Huang et al. Radhimiparvar (2014),
being yourself, how to handle mean comments, and following privacy rules are all important.
With their work, we can say for sure that Amazon does a good job of dealing with these
tough issues.

Measuring Customer Loyalty Impact: Metrics and Methodologies

There were many tools and measurements used in the review to find out how social media
marketing impacts customer trust (Mishra, 2018). Researchers like Kim and Yang (2017)
(Kauffmann, 2020) have done work that lets us know how loyal people are in the digital
world. These models and standards can help a lot of companies, like Amazon, figure out how
well their social media efforts are doing.

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Intended Research Methodology
Introduction
This research method uses Amazon as its main example to look at how social media
marketing impacts customer trust in the tech industry (Mishra, 2018). This method gets a full
picture of the subject by using both quantitative and qualitative study methodts.
Research Philosophy
Fairness and common sense are important for researchers, and both positivism and
interpretivist research models are thought to be right. It's taken very seriously that social
media marketing and getting people to trust you are difficult to connect.
Research Approach
Utilizing both positivism and interpretivism is a smart choice for the research. There is now
more knowledge about social media marketing and believing people.
Research Method
The study is mainly interested in how well qualitative and quantitative tools can combine. We
can get a good look at the complicated processes going on thanks to this all-encompassing
plan.
Sources of Data
Aside from primary data from Amazon users, secondary data from academic papers, industry
reports, and Amazon's own writings will also be gathered. This use of two sources makes the
study more in-depth and comprehensive.
Data Collection Technique
Looking at the content of secondary data:
For the research, normal statistical tools and computer programs are used to work with
numbers. For qualitative data, content analysis will be used to organize and make sense of
secondary data in a planned way.
Data Analysis Techniques
The extra data that is being analysed will mostly be looked at in terms of their content. To do
this, you have to organise, code, and analyse written data in a planned way to find themes and
patterns that keep coming up (Alexander, 2020). Following the qualitative nature of the
study, content analysis allows a close review of the written data.

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Sampling Technique
To get a group that is representative of the whole, 29 Amazon customers will be chosen at
random. This method makes the study more reliable and makes sure that different points of
view are included.
Consideration of Ethics
Taking steps to avoid ethics problems is a top priority, and this includes using permission
forms to get informed agreement. Protecting participant privacy means that no answers or
names will be shared without clear permission. Tools that find plagiarism, like Turnitin, will
be used to protect the purity of scholarship.
Limitations of this Study
The study is aware of some of its problems, such as the small size of its group and the fact
that social media trends change all the time. Making these limits clear improves the study's
trustworthiness and helps put its results in context.

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Resources Required and Action Plan

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Gantt chart

Activities Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Analysis of the
aims/objectives
Designing the
projects
Data collection
Analysis of the data
Compiling
everything in a
report
Collecting
feedbacks
Further working on
feedback

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References
Ayci, A. and Tyagi, S., 2022. The Role of Big Data Analysis and Machine Learning in Marketing
Communications: A Case Study of Amazon. In Machine Learning for Societal Improvement,
Modernization, and Progress (pp. 225-247). IGI Global.
Hossain, A.S.M.Z., IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ON CONSUMER BRANDING
AND RELATIONSHIP: A CASE STUDY ON AMAZON.
Mishra, S., 2018. The impact of social media on e-commerce: A study at amazon &
flipkart. International Research Journal of Management Sociology & Humanities.
Ritala, P., Golnam, A. and Wegmann, A., 2014. Coopetition-based business models: The case of QI,
X., 2017. THE ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF
MOBILE SHOPPING—A CASE STUDY OF AMAZON (Doctoral dissertation, SIAM UNIVERSITY).
Amazon. com. Industrial marketing management, 43(2), pp.236-249.
Rahimiparvar, N., 2014. eCRM Features that Affect Customer Attitude to Loyalty: A Case QI, X.,
2017. THE ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF
MOBILE SHOPPING—A CASE STUDY OF AMAZON (Doctoral dissertation, SIAM UNIVERSITY).
Study of a Sample of 402 University Students Enrolled in International Programs in Thailand. AU-
GSB e-JOURNAL, 7(2).
Kauffmann, E., Peral, J., Gil, D., Ferrández, A., Sellers, R. and Mora, H., 2020. A framework for big
data analytics in commercial social networks: A case study on sentiment analysis and fake review
detection for marketing decision-making. Industrial Marketing Management, 90, pp.523-537.
Vollero, A., Sardanelli, D. and Siano, A., 2023. Exploring the role of the Amazon effect on customer
expectations: An analysis of user‐generated content in consumer electronics retailing. Journal of
Consumer Behaviour, 22(5), pp.1062-1073.
Yadav, M. and Rahman, Z., 2018. The influence of social media marketing activities on customer
loyalty: A study of e-commerce industry. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(9), pp.3882-
3905.

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