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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA 2
Introduction
The internet has become a very fundamental part of life in the 21st Century. A vast
majority of the global population is nearly fully dependent or at least spends a considerable
amount of time browsing through the internet (Stelzner, 2012). This is the similar case with
Social Networking Sites (SNS). Social Networking Sites are generally sites that are used to
connect individuals, groups of individuals or parties that have similar interests and or
background. They are considerably the newest form of communication whereby, people share
their experiences, emotions and imageries with each other. It is within these social media
spectrums that people are now sharing ideas as well as connecting with each other. This new way
of people connecting can be assumed to be the genesis of the following research paper. Through
sharing pictures, experiences and connecting, the internet and the Social Networking Sites
influence consumer behaviors in different ways (Mersey, Malthouse, & Calder, 2010). With
information only a click of a button away, millions of blogs, podcasts, ads and websites advise
consumers on almost everything they need to know on a product. The following research paper is
going to examine how the internet and social media affect consumer decisions.
Consumer behavior
Consumer behavior regards the manner in which people, organizations and demographic
groups select, buy and or use particular commodities as well as experiences to satisfy their
various needs (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Although the process of selection, buying and use may
sound easy but it is very complex and dynamic. With the coming of the internet and Social
Networking Sites (SNS), the manner in which consumers think and or behave keeps on changing
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA 3
rapidly (Dann, 2011). Even with the traditional market, events like globalization and introduction
of new technology has always changed consumer behavior. The consumer decision making
process has five stages namely problem or need recognition, information search, evaluation of
Need recognition. The recognition of a problem usually occurs at a time or state where
the prospective consumer recognizes a gap or a significant difference between their current state
or level of satisfaction, and their own ideal state or level of satisfaction. With the internet and
SNS, “social identity” has really become a factor where people are very conscious of the way
they are seen, deemed or identified by other people (Evans, 2008). This phenomenon explains
why there are more consumer needs arising from the content posted on social networking sites. A
consumer need is therefore the reaction that emanates from likes, comments or reviews given on
these sites.
Information search. Once the consumer identifies a need, the second step involves
seeking information regarding the product, service or experience that they have identified. The
search for data regarding the need is geared towards helping the consumer make the right and
most reasonable decision. While in the old days people would access information on different
things from magazines, news papers and the mass media in general, the internet is the 21st
Century tool for searching information (Dann, 2011). The internet state of being ubiquitous
means that consumers can search and find information on basically anything from anywhere in
the world as long as there is connectivity. Reviews on products, services and experiences on
social media spectrums are also considered to be very relevant sources of information for
consumers in this era. Some of the downside to digital marketing as identified by Silverman
(2001) is that there is too much competing information in the search engine databases that it
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA 4
actually becomes hard for marketers to get their products past the consumer’s filters. This
challenge can however be overcome through channels such as Search Engine Optimization
to that of looking or searching for information. It involves using various search engines and
social media platforms to find reviews on actual products that other consumers have tried, used
and or tested (Silverman, 2001). This information is very useful in enabling prospective
consumers make the decision of exactly what product they want to use in order to fulfill the
problem or gain the experience they need. Evaluating the alternatives involves examining both
the negatives and the positives of each product or service and determines the one with the
optimal benefits or the one that befits the consumer’s needs (Dann, 2011).
Choice and Purchasing. The stage of buying involves the consumer actually taking a step
to pay for the product, service or experience. With the internet and Social Network Sites, the
reviews and opinions of other consumers who might have used or purchased the product affect
the consumer’s decision. Instead of being rational about the product, most consumers tend to be
emotional. This is recognized as spontaneous or impulsive buying (Kotler & Keller, 2009).
experience, they often feel like sharing this experience. Different digital groups exist to provide
an avenue or a spectrum where consumers can share their experiences and tastes of products or
services they purchased. These digital groups include consumer clans, Anti-brand communities
and Brand communities where people can dislikes, thoughts, likes as well as preferences towards
would tell off the product to about 10 people, in the digital age, such displeasure can reach
millions of prospective consumers through blogs, podcasts, Digital groups and across the entire
social media spectrum (Mersey, Malthouse, & Calder, 2010). Consumer behavior is greatly
affected by any negativity towards a product, even if the negative information or review is not
true.
Other factors affecting consumer behavior. Besides the aforementioned factor of the
internet and Social Network Sites, there are various other factors that affect or cause a change in
consumer behavior. The most common are the psycho-graphical variables which are internal
factors that affect consumer buying behavior and include learning, motivation, memory,
perception, attitudes as well as self-conception (Kotler & Keller, 2009). When a prospective
consumer sees a product or service being advertised, they may not be interested but it is recorded
in memory. This is the reasoning behind advertisers showcasing their products so many times.
By doing this, they are trying to create a vivid image in the prospective consumer’s mind so that
when a need, problem or necessity arises, they will automatically remember that particular
product. Frequent exposure to a product causes a stimulus that creates a familiarity of the
consumer to the product (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Based on the fact that images sell products
best, the internet and SNS are filled with imagery of varying and divergent products making
these spectrums very useful in today’s marketing strategies. These images affect consumer
Implications for marketers. According to the facts unearthed by this research paper, the
influence of the internet and the social media realm is undeniable in consumer behavior. In order
for marketers to be able to come up with efficient marketing strategies and actions, they need to
understand the variables involved in the decision making process. This can be achieved through
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA 6
interactions with active users and prospective users on social media platforms. Creating and
maintaining websites that have an interactive segment where users can raise concerns and hold
discussions can also be a very good tool of understanding the ever changing consumer behavior
(Dholakia, 2012).
Conclusion. Most people who join the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Palmchat, Snapchat and many others, share dynamic and mostly lively pictures,
conversations, experiences and so on, with friends and or followers. Such social relations,
interactions and dealings play a very significant role in changing the behavior of prospective
consumers of a product and their buying decisions. Dholakia (2012) acknowledges that the
exponential growth of social networking sites and other online businesses enable consumers to
not just make purchases, but also chat, interact, blog, comment on products and so on while they
carry on with their daily routines. This is facilitated by the growing use of the internet for trade
all over the globe. Additionally, networking through Social Network Sites allows consumers to
interact, discuss, raise and share opinions, perceptions as well as thoughts. It also enables these
users to share their experiences and knowledge with other users and prospective users.
Advertising and marketing through the internet and social media spectrums enables marketers to
address any concerns that might arise, rectify comments as well as address inquiries (Stelzner,
2012).
The internet and social media has grown from what was just an addition to a company’s
profile, to a complete necessity. Stelzner (2012) acknowledges that the social media realm is no
longer just a fad, with more than 83% of marketers placing a very high value on their online
presence and the social media of their businesses. This statistics have undoubtedly risen
exponentially since then with almost all businesses having an online presence.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MEDIA 7
References
Dann, S. (2011). E-Marketing: Theory and Application. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Dholakia, N. (2012). Being Critical in Marketing Studies: The Imperative of Macro Perspectives.
Journal of Macromarketing , 220-225.
Evans, D. (2008). Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2009). Marketing Management. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Mersey, R. D., Malthouse, E. C., & Calder, B. J. (2010). Engagement with online media. Journal
of Media Business Studies , 39-56.
Stelzner, M. (2012, March 24). Social Media Marketing Industry Report: How Marketers Are
Using Social Media to Grow Their Businesses. Retrieved August 15, 2018, from
socialmediaexaminer.com:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/SocialMediaMarketingIndustryReport2012.pdf