Social Media Marketing On Brand Loyalty-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of using Social Networks in Business. Answer: Introduction Lin et al. (2014) depicts that social network resembles of a network that enhances the social interactions and personal relationships. In recent time, this interaction can be obtained from a dedicated website that allows different stakeholders to communicate with each other by sharing messages and information in form of both audio and visual (Chen 2013). This is known as social media marketing strategy that is adopted by marketers. The prime advantage from social networking is gaining valuable customer insights, effective brand awareness and loyalty, provision of rich customer experiences and real- time communication (Erdogmua and Cicek 2012). However, Alexander et al. (2016) argues that social networking consumes much time in navigating and managing the intricacies in every medium and accurate details regarding the products and services of the organization. This assessment illustrates the advantages and disadvantages of using social networks in business. The scope and objective of relevant journal articles were taken into consideration in order to carry out the comparative analysis of the selected articles. Moreover, the gap and conclusion drawn in each selected article will also be mentioned in this assessment. Discussion Social media and brand loyalty Erdogmus and Cicek (2012) mentioned that maintaining brand loyalty is the major concern of the marketers from conventional time to contemporary period. In order to accomplish the same, they use different medium through which effective brand loyalty can be attained and social media marketing one of the recent means for obtaining this objectives. In the article, The impact of social media marketing on brand loyalty, Laroche et al. (2013) said that brand loyalty influenced by offering of relevant and popular content in social media, appearance on various platforms and offers on social media and this is the major objective of this research paper. Lin et al. (2014) also depicts that the advantage of social network is that they can channel into much larger channels that cannot be gained through traditional channels. Another factor that drives the customer loyalty is better communication with the organization as customers are likely to talk about, recommend or purchase a company's products after they have developed their engagement with the organization. The media that are mostly referred by the customers are Twitter and Facebook (Laroche et al. 2013). Marketers also emphasize more on making relationship and connection rather than focusing on selling products and services. The gap in this article is that this research paper is not based on any organization and random respondents are collected for data collection. Thus, business strategies taken by a company cannot be drawn properly. Apart from the brand loyalty, customer engagement and effective buyer-seller relationships can also be attained if implemented properly. In this research also it is said that close relationship can be built effectively that not only drives the sense of loyalty in the customers but it also allows the marketers to built buyer- seller relationships. Zhang et al. (2017) also mentioned that presence of customer service and support ensures the effectiveness of social media in business. Moreno-Munoz et al. (2016) also depicts that it allows business people to clear the queries of the customers that makes more people to engage with its organization. Zhang et al. (2017) on the other hand mentioned that in conventional time that is 1990- 2000, call centers were there on behalf of every organization, who answers to all the queries of the organization. In the year 2000- 2010, telephone, IVR, E-mail services, SMS are developed that ensures multi- media customer interactions, whereas, after 2010, social media has replaced the conventional contact centre channels with social networking (Moreno-Munoz et al. 2016). It is also mentioned that all the relevant details are present on the internet sources like companys website and in their social media sites and that ensures the transparency regarding the business policies and information. This helps the customers to gain trust and remain engaged with the organization. However, Moreno-Munoz et al. (2016) also argues that trust is important in gaining customers attraction but due to the presence of social media, the role integrity of sellers and customers started to blur. Chen (2013) furthermore highlight that marketers follow customer engagement cycle for ensuring their associability and social media marketing allows them to do so. This cycle comprise of seven components- connection, interaction, satisfaction, retention, commitment, advocacy and engagement. Image 1- Customer engagement cycle (Source- Fulk and Yuan 2013) Compared to the first article, this research shows that social network provide connection that allows them to find desired customers through internet. Marketers develop their websites information with products details in several platform that make customer to remain connected with them. The social networks channels are two types- customer community/forum and external social media sites (Sivertzen et al. 2013). The former channel signifies the companys website and the latter channel resembles the Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. Van Iddekinge et al. (2016) explains that this enables the ability of the organization to listen to their customers first prior to make any concluding statement. Social media or networking provide accurate details of their business operations that leads to satisfaction. Van Iddekinge et al. (2016) on the other argue by stating that sometimes marketers lower the quality and quantity of the material shown in the websites. The prime reason for the same is that the products cannot be assessed physically and hence the quality cannot be assured during the order placement. The fifth and the sixth level of this cycle are commitment and advocacy that resembles long-term relationshipsand sharing their experiences regarding the products respectively. All these factors help organization to obtain customer engagement through social network. Social networking and business The research paper initially highlights the gap compared to other papers that not much research has been done in context of health- care sectors. The benefits of using social networking are- effective interactions with general public, more available and tailored information, accessibility to health information, public health surveillance, gaining peer and emotional support along with potentiality to influence health policy on others (Moorhead et al. 2013). Health- care managing authorities can also broadcast video and audio excerpts on social media so that every individual can easily understand the information given. These video can also contains conferences with health experts and instructions on treatment and medication for particular kind of health adversities (Moorhead et al. 2013). Thus, communication in real time at a very cost effective way is the rime benefits of using social networking in a business. Zhang et al. (2017) portrays that since social media allows people to comme nt and response regarding their experience to health issues. Individual can easily access the data from companys website and other medial blogs to compare and ask relevant question directly to the organizations doctors. However, in this research article, some limitations are found like- quality concerns that lack reliable and accurate information regarding the health information. Moreover, Moorhead et al. (2013) also highlight that the authors, who wrote the information regarding heath factors on social media are often unidentifiable and that results in lack of trust on online available information. In addition to that, operating medical business online is not a professional way of doing business as e-mail is not considered as an official medical record. Furthermore, there are several risks in operating business like- security breaches and disclosure of personal information and this result in poor customer trust and ineffective brand recognition (Hohenthal et al. 2014). The gap present in this research article is that it focuses on specific population groups- patients group and minority group. Moreover, only the secondary data is taken into consideration which highlight that recent data on using social media to perform business are not available that lacks in accuracy for obtaining the research result. It can be also said that compared to first article, this article focuses on a sector that is health- care sector and it also highlights the limitation of social media also that is absent in first research article. Global perspective of social network In this context, Jamali et al. (2016) mentioned that the importance of social media comes in picture after global business suffers from crisis. The article To Be or Not to Be in Social Media Arena as the Most Cost Efficient Marketing Strategy after the Global Recession highlights that marketers opts for an alternative solution after they have faced global recession in 2008 and after that it has become the most preferred marketing driver. After the U.S. firms faced crisis, marketers opts for social network for their business promotion as it is easy to target audience through internet facility. Jamali et al. (2016) also examined that benefits of social networking is also witnessed through new products positioning and formulation of unique product mix. Another advantage of social media is to create a brand via community of customers and it accelerates communication among the customers and marketers. The research also shows that majority of respondents stated that they refer social media sites to get information on a company and for passing the information to known acquaintances. Image 2- Response on most visited site to get information on a company and source through which they as the information (Source- Jamali et al. 2016) Schaupp and Belanger (2013) also mentioned that social networking also drives purchase intent of the customers. This medium is beneficial for the on-line group since this platform provides them cross- selling opportunities. However, the disadvantages in this perspective are that there is no direct communication between the marketers and customers (Belanger et al., 2014). Schaupp and Blanger (2013) argues that social marketing is a great innovation for content discovery and people also use this medium more as it is free and easy to use and access. Thus, considering all these factors that drives customers to get aware regarding an organizations initiatives, products and services details, social networking helps companies to attain more customer during recession and hence considered as a powerful survival tool. Compared to the second chosen article, the gap of the study is that only one incident is considered and that is global crisis, though it is a crucial event to consider but it offer lack of particular business or firms in this research discussion. The similarity between To Be or Not to Be in Social Media Arena as the Most Cost Efficient Marketing Strategy after the Global Recession and A New Dimension of Health Care: Systematic Review of the Uses, Benefits, and Limitations of Social Media for Health Communication is that both research uses secondary data for their research and that represent a similar gap that lacks authenticity of the recent scenario of using social media. Social media and recruitment Among all the business promotional ideas and concerned, in recent times, organization uses the concept of social media in recruiting efficient employee, selection of employees and termination. In the research article Friend or Foe? The Promise and Pitfalls of Using Social Networking Sites for HR Decisions, Alexander et al. (2016) explains that social network like- MySpace, Facebook, Linkedln, Twitter are the most used tools for taking HR decisions. The prime advantage of using social network in HRM is that suitable candidates can be easily. HR can screen candidates and select them for organization. Van Iddekinge et al. (2016) furthermore portrays that applicants searches for job easily without a broker or consultancy services and HR professionals also gather information about applicants and develop targeted interview questions. Another advantage that HR can get is to follow their employees posts and assess whether or not they are ethical as a human and germinate employees, who provid e negative and embarrassing comments (Van Iddekinge et al. 2016). Moreover, it is also mentioned in the research article that some social network are developed solely for recruitment purposes like LinkedIn that attracts more passive job seeker and y could be contacted for career opportunity by HR of other desired organization. The disadvantage that is highlighted in this research article is that online screening not always provides reliable, valid and job-relevant information (Hohenthal et al. 2014). Moreno-Munoz et al. (2016) furthermore stated that the accuracy and relevance of the people, who posts the recruitment advertisement, cannot be evaluated through social networks. Moreover, this research scholar identifies a limitation of social network and that is businesspeople have to assess e-commerce legislations as well as all the civil rights of all nations. Social network also suffered from other legal issue like- privacy rights of every profile and potential defamation of character (Fulk and Yuan 2013). Thus, the conclusion that is drawn from this research article is that alike to the implication of social networking in health care centre, not much research work is done in context of recruitment strategy using social media networking. The gap in this literature is that there no primary data are collect ed in this research that signifies that the research contain biasness. Moreover, only recruitment strategy in HR decision making is focused and thus in future other decision making like employee retention and engagement. Conclusion Thus, it is concluded that social networking not only provides transparency among the marketers and customers but it also allows easy access of the relevant details, effective communication and interaction with stakeholders. These are prime advantage of using social networking. All these factors moreover offer effective customer loyalty, engagement and brand recognition of the organization. However, the overall limitation in this literature review is that not much research work are in the field of health- care sector and HR decision making for recruitment through social media. In addition to that, maintaining civil rights, business legislations along with the social networking and e-commerce legations become too cumbersome for marketers. Following to this adversity, lack of physical communication among the customers is also absent that result in poor performance of the organization. Thus, after assessing different articles the research topic that can be proposed for future is- Impact of social media on HR decision making for recruitment in a health- care sector. Reference List Alexander, E. C., Mader, F., and Mader, D., 2016. College Students Use Social Networking Sites for Sharing with Friends, But Guess Who Else is Looking?.Atlantic Marketing Journal,5(2), 5. Blanger, C. H., Bali, S., and Longden, B., 2014. 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