What is Social Media Marketing?

Advertising Research Consumer Behaviour

To gain insights into consumer behaviour,

researchers uses the standard battery of market research methods such as surveys, depth interviews and focus groups. Increasingly, researchers are turning to newer methodologies and technologies in an effort to seek deeper understandings of why consumers behave in certain ways. These newer methods include ethnographic research (also known as participant observation) and neuroscience as well as experimental lab designs. In addition, researchers often turn to separate disciplines for insights with potential to inform the study of consumer behaviour. For instance, behavioural economics is adding fresh, new insights into certain aspects of consumer behaviour.


An issue for marketers and retailers is to determine the ‘sweet spot’ where consumers are given sufficient choice to satisfy their desire for variety, but not become overwhelmed by it.


Framing price or valueFor example, one study reported on a magazine subscription where potential subscribers were offered two options: an online subscription for $59, or a combined online and print for $129 a year. Most people chose the online only option. However, when a third option was introduced: print only for $129 (i.e. the decoy), the online and print option seemed like better value and a significant number of people switched to that option. In other words, the decoy price assists in framing value. Marketers use a variety of methods to frame value: e.g. quote monthly payment options rather than a single all-inclusive price.

Influence of the Internet on buying process



as business change so fast today, so he search on Google to find out the answer. On the result page, what he finds out is the promotional ads which mainly come from JD.com and Taobao, RingToRed.Com two main Chinese competitors of online retailer at this field. As always, he used to prefer JD.com, which provides comparison in detail on brands, price, place and ways of payment and delivery. After careful selection, he makes his order through payment of Wechat, which was placed inside of JD.com. JD.com has one of the fastest distribution channels within China and it support excellent post-purchase service to maintain its position in the market.

Different types of online Behaviour

Consumers may use online platforms for various stages of the purchase decision. Some consumers use online sources simply to acquire information about planned purchases. Others use online for making the actual purchase. In yet other situations, consumers may use online platforms to engage in post purchase behaviours such as staying connected with a brand by joining a brand community or by becoming a brand advocate by posting a product review or providing brand referrals vis social media. A particular problem that some e-commerce providers have encountered is that consumers who seek information online, turn to bricks and mortar retailers for the actual purchase. Marketers have segmented consumer markets into different kinds of online behaviour in accordance with their behavioural characteristics online. Lewis and Lewis (1997) identified five segments based on the way that consumers use the Internet in the purchase decision process:

  1. "Directed Information-seekers" belongs to the kind of users that primarily look for information of the product or service and there is no guarantee that they could be converted to online buyers.

  2. "Undirected Information-seekers" are always the new comers of the Internet. They are more likely to click through the web pages and have more willing to interact with the online advertisement designed by online marketers.

  3. "Directed Buyers" have a straightforward mind to purchase a specific product or service online.

  4. "Bargain Hunters" are the price-sensitive users that always like to find products from sales promotions. For these users, discount could be a major attraction to convert them to purchase online.

  5. "Entertainment Seekers" are the online consumers that basically seek anything involved with fun activities. Online games which are often interactive could be a useful means to attract this kind of potential customer.

Consumer Behaviour" Online



For marketers, the implication is that when asking consumers to take an action, specifying a small step helps to break through the action paralysis. This finding also suggests that even small differences in advertising copy can lead to improved outcomes.


online consumer behaviour



In the offline environment, consumers who are shopping in stores can be easily classified by experienced sales employees only by watching their shopping behaviours. These sales will approach them initiatively because they knew they look like the kind of consumers who are really seeking something to purchase, while other "hanging around" shoppers will generally be ignored by the experienced sales. Such classification may not appear online, but Moe and Fader argued that by it is feasible to predict practical buying, surfing and searching action online by investigating click patterns and repetition of visit within online behaviour. In addition, a report of E-consultancy about "benchmarking of user experience" outlined three kinds of online consuming behaviour as a valuable classification for the research of design of web pages to better serve different kinds of consuming behaviour. The three categories are:"trackers","hunters" and "explorers".


  1. "Trackers" are the online consumers who are exactly looking for a product that they definitely wish to buy. They use the Internet for the information about its price, delivery methods post-purchase service and so on. Once they have found the proper information, little effort is needed to let them do the business.

  2. "Hunters" just know the categories of the product that they need, for instance, a novel for leisure time. However, they haven't made specific decision on whose novel to buy. They use the Internet to find a list of product of their needed categories to make comparison. This kind of online consumer needs advice and help to do their business.

  3. "Explorers" don't even have the categories of product on their minds. In fact, they just want to buy something online. There is more uncertainty of this type of online consumers.



Consumer Value in purchasing, namely Product value and Shopping value



Research has identified two types of consumer value in purchasing, namely product value and shopping value. Product value is likely to be similar for both online and offline shoppers. However, the shopping experience will be substantially different for online shoppers. In an offline shopping environment, consumers derive satisfaction from being within the physical store environment or retail landscape (hedonic motivations). In the case of online purchasing, shoppers derive satisfaction from their ability to navigate a website and the convenience of online searching which allows them to compare prices and 'shop around' with minimal time commitment. Thus the online consumer is motivated by more utilitarian factors...


What is the major part of Social Media Marketing?

Should you build awareness, generate leads, nurture your community, or learn about your audience? YES! Social Media Marketing relevant strategies: make sure your efforts are consistent over time...Listen to Your Audience to Discover Their Interests. spread the word, produce and share content that educates, informs, entertains, and inspires...Goal-setting matters because your ability to produce results from social media marketing is highly correlated with your ability to identify meaningful goals. Please share your thoughts in the comments-

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