A business proposal on direct marketing in social media

This paper is a research proposal about direct marketing in the social media. With the involvement with the error of computers, ways of managing marketing have been increased. Each technique comes with its major benefits and constraints. This research proposal targets on evaluating the usefulness of social media in direct marketing.

The development of social media as a direct channel is not without its challenges. According to the study, the top two constraints for marketers came down to looking for the most relevant tactics for gauging success and launching business objectives.

Being able to measure success is important for any direct marketing work, and that is why it is significant not to disregard this vital step. With the correct trappings, marketers can produce viral social media operations that can be track, restrained, and improved to maximize access and return on investment (Ellsworth & Ellsworth, 1994, p. 386). This research paper targets to establish how effective is managing direct marketing in social Medias.

(b) Scope of the study

        Social media is a treasured new instrument in a direct marketer's toolbox, nevertheless it desires to be improved and utilised properly to undertake the tasks.

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Creating it informal for clients to share newsletter or Web site content over social grids is just the start. Direct marketers ought to improve viral programs that completely exploit the system's true capability. Finally, one needs to identify ways to measure their success, which will allow persons to fine-tune their exertions going onward.

Leveraging social media as a direct system also allows fundamental tenure, which is crucial to capitalize on triumph across all sections.

Eradicating many owners not only rationalizes the practice, but also accelerates having one unified approach that can house the business goals of multiple departments, such as public relations, customer service, and sales. Clumsy management by numerous sections can lead to varied communications that hinder the company's ability to attract followers, fans, or other influencers. Social media marketers comprehend the value in directing targeted messages and gauging their success, which is why it is not astonishing that many companies are leveraging their email marketing departments to board on social media creativities.

2.0 How to conduct the study

(a) Methodology: Research Philosophy, Approach, Strategy and Methods

         There are various approaches of obtaining information while conducting research. These methods of obtaining information refer to as research methods. Research methods include personal interviews, literature searches, focus groups, and email surveys, telephone surveys, talking with people and mail surveys. Literature search entails going through already sourced materials to obtain information. Materials that are readily available with information are such as newspapers, magazines, relevant trade publications, company literature, online materials and any other relevant and already published materials. This method of conducting research is one of the cheapest methods for conducting research. Online data is a quick research process that lies under this category of information research methods. It is very fast in obtaining information. Talking with people is another good method of gathering information for a project. It is most relevant at initial stages of conducting research for a project. It is mostly preferred when looking for the information that is not publicly available (Cohen& Morrison, 2003, p. 179). To obtain adequate information on the effectiveness of directing marketing in social media chose to use various methods for sourcing the information, each strategy of obtaining the information is analysed below and its effectiveness and efficiency on information deliver.

The information to be research will be too new again to be got in literature resources, therefore, preferring to look for it from real persons. For example, talking with people will be through seminars, association meetings, customers, suppliers, and all other types of business conversations. A focus group is concerned with a study to explore people's attitudes and ideas. It will be used to obtain information about something new in the market and effectiveness of social media in promoting its awareness. Group focus method obtains the information from a selected group of the people called the sample. The information acquired could be based on the process of selecting a sample. The most preferred method for sample selection is a random selection; this is preferred because, all the characters stand an equal chance to be select. Email and internet analyses are comparatively original and few is available about the outcome of sampling bias on internet surveys. While it is noticeable that internet survey most regards effective and quickest way of dispensing a study, the demographic outline of the internet handler will not represent the general population, although this is changing. Before doing an email or internet study, One shall carefully consider the effect that this bias might have on the results. Social media include such as Facebook, twitter, eBay amongst many others. They are friendly in nature and this reduces the may processes of formalities needed. In social media, personal conduct with a client is ensured; a person can communicate directly to the client and hence reach him or her in a better way to explain him or her about his products.

Personal interviews are a technique to get detailed and all-inclusive information. They engage one person interviewing another person for person or comprehensive information. Personal interviews are very costly because of the person-to-person nature of the interview. Normally, as an interviewer, I will ask questions from a documented questionnaire and list the answers word-perfect. Occasionally, a questionnaire is merely a list of topics that the study wants to confer with a business professional. Personal interviews because of their expense are on mostly used only when subjects are not probable to react to other survey techniques. This will allow the researcher to get information about the effectiveness of direct marketing from individuals that I would not have got through any other research method.

Telephone surveys are the fastest method of collecting information from a comparatively bulky sample. As an assessor, I will track an organized writing that is fundamentally identical to a written questionnaire. However, different from a mail survey, a telephone survey would permit the chance for sure judgement searching. Telephone surveys usually last fewer than ten minutes. Typical charges are between four and six thousand dollars and they can be accomplished in two to four weeks. Mail surveys are a cost current way of collecting information. They are best for big sample amounts, or when the sample is sourced from a wide geographical area. They charge a little less than telephone interviews, but they take over double as long to complete normally, eight to twelve weeks. Since there is no interviewer, there is no likelihood of interviewer prejudice. The foremost shortcoming is the incapability to review respondents for more complete information.

In conducting research on social media marketing, one needs to outline the target group well. The target group shall be outlined clearly, because the mode of advertising will be a framed in a way to suit it. By conducting good research, information that is the most basic for a set form of marketing will be acquired. It is good to note that even time and the way of marketing selected dictates the target group of managing the marketing. Social media marketing offers a wide geographical advertisement. Social Medias is the most necessary forums where a person can meet a very large number of people from different ethnic groups. It is very easy to capture the target group within a very short as opposed to all other channels of advertisement.

3.0 Why is there need to study this topic

3.1 Contribution to the field

       While some companies perceive social Medias as mere channels for building knowledge on products, there is evidence that direct marketers are competing to possess huge demand generation potential. The assessment outlines the "land grab" that is going on in organizations over regulation of social media; with 29 per cent of respondents say social media is being shared by many departments. However, possession by direct marketing acquires the top with 36 per cent of respondents. As the setting of reference, solitary 9 percent of respondents suggest public relations sectors own that social media. That social media is a workable and influential direct channel is vibrant. Nevertheless, the review also exposes social media's strong linking with email promoting. In fact, 66% of salespersons plan to assimilate the two channels in 2009. This move wholly makes logic: Email is a vital part of social media, as it is relied upon to keep members knowledgeable about the up-to-date news and informs. Additionally, assimilating the two networks permits marketers to get a more opinions of the customer, which is necessary for conveying effective and relevant communications (Bird, 2000, p.126).

Direct mail is a posted mail that publicizes one's business and its goods and services. There are many different categories of direct mail. For example catalogues, postcards, envelope mailers. Direct mail operations are typically, sent to all delivery customers in a zone or to entirely customers on a marketing list. Telemarketing entails contacting viable customers through the phone to sell products or services. Telemarketing is skilful of generating new customer prospects in huge bulks. Nevertheless, a fruitful campaign involves scheduling and using correct and well-researched customer data to match customer profiles to product profiles. Email marketing is a cost-effective, simple, and measurable method of reaching consumers. It can include e-newsletters and promotional emails to create new leads or deals for existing clients, or ads that can perform in other business's emails.

3.2 The significance of the study

        The study is important, as it would study social media as a forum for conducting direct marketing. Through the study also one gets to know several contributions of different methods in giving information about social media. By researching on direct marketing and social media, one gets to appreciate its effort in increasing the knowledge of different products of a business. The study will allow marketers in choosing the most appropriate method of product promotion in the future.

Social media can be used successfully as a marketing tool for business as it gives someone a chance to interact directly with his/her customers and often share significant product or service information. Consider developing a profile for a business firm that permits one to promote your products and services while also cheering customers to deliver feedback by leaving comments; this is the advice from one of the social network owners. It is of very great importance to adopt direct marketing in social media (Sheehan, 2010, p. 45).

Taking a lesson from directing marketing, social media marketing is best served only by focusing on activities that result in measurable results. If persons believe that business page gathers fan with greater affinity to the brand, maybe researchers can also believe that we would not be able to measure the effects of that brand loyalty it in a way that is particularly satisfying. It is for more productive to think of social media as a direct marketing system, and create campaigns and track results in a manner that is related to direct marketing. Not all customers are created equal. Some customers fall into what marketers refer to as ‘heavy user' category. These customers purchase products or services with the highest profit margin or simply frequent one's business more often than the average. This important group is the most valuable asset and one probably wish you had more like them. A business grows due to trusted customers and well crediting policies. Through direct marketing, it would be very easy to create awareness of the existence of your business establishment. Social media provides an environment to conduct direct marketing that help to improve on sales (Zarrella, 2010, p. 109).

In direct marketing, we know that people tend to befriend with others who are similar to themselves; they live in the same neighbourhoods, engage in similar activities, and so on. This tendency makes targeting profitable customers much easier. Most customer databases are transactional in nature. They capture sales, product numbers, and customer names. They do not, however, help to create messages or track results. To make issues tracking efficiently, one will need to attach the national field to your customer records, which makes note of their social media affiliation. As new customers are acquired, it is helpful if coupons or specials that the new customer might use are tracked back to a social media outlet, allowing you to see results over time. In addition, one may be able track results that provide some substance to the real contribution that greater brand loyalty of social media followers provides to your business. This provides a glimpse of how direct marketing in a social media, is helpful in tracking customers (Kotler & Armstrong, 1991, p. 283).

4.0 Timeline of the study

         When the goal is to produce a rapid reaction to a coupon or incentive, traditional direct marketing channels are the best. Coupons perform well online, but conventional media rules up better. Nevertheless, one can use social media to add importance to the customer interaction by lashing target customers to interactive and participative website or any other informational areas. This adds value to the usefulness of direct marketing in the social media, based on previous research proposal (Evans, 2008, p.19).

5.0 Effectiveness of accomplishing the task:

           The research proposal is set comprehensive enough to cater for demands for a marketer in conducting research. The different method employed would ensure every detail concerning directing in social media is realized by the research. This research methodology lacks discrimination of standards or organizations to ensure that it would source for the information from all groups and levels of people in the world. The speed and accuracy of obtaining the information are ensured in the research proposal through employing new technologies and electronic devices such as computers in the research. These electronic devices would ensure safe storage of data for reference reasons. It also provides a quick accessibility of information since the storage is convenient to retrieve quickly. This would assure researchers the confidence of accomplishing the task successfully.

Whichever way one approaches it, the usage of business social networks is very likely an aspect in some side of your marketing plan (Sargeant & West, 2001, p 113).

6.0 Ethical issues in marketing and social media

            The benefit of business making the product and to their customers through the use of online support forums is evident. The difficulties are solved more often than not by other customers, reducing the overall support expenses. While product inventors do a decent profession of testing and anticipating issues, given the difficulty of real life, they just cannot match a span of application environments that are likely to exist. Unexpected errors occur. Proceeding to online support, the only real solution is a call to customer service. The difficulty is, though, that not only is direct and personal customer support crew is often unable to reproduce the issue for the precise reason it occurred in the first place: they fail to have a particular set up or environment that their products have been deployed in (Hofacker, 2001, p. 831).

The extent to which direct marketing is useful to an organization expansion is very vital. The major contribution of social media is that it facilitates to bring awareness of products and services to people. Social media also serve to give a wide geographical coverage in advertising (Tuten, & Solomon, 2013, p 78). In the case of research on the business, social Medias also provide readily available information. Direct marketing is cost effective when done in the social media relatively to when conducted by other channels (Zimmerman, 2013, p. 311). It's was free to create an advert in a social media page and the information reaches many individuals within less time. Direct marketing in social media would also help to improve on clearing the existing bias of a product. A bias about a product may amount from false information about a product mostly generated by the competitor. The list on usefulness of direct marketing in social media marketing cannot be depleting. For a successful growth in market size, direct marketing in social Medias is the most appropriate strategy (Raab, 2010, p. 99).

References

Bird, D. (2000). Commonsense direct marketing. London: Kogan Page.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2003). Research methods in education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

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Ellsworth, J. H., & Ellsworth, M. V. (1994). The Internet business book. New York: Wiley.

Evans, D. (2008). Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. Indianapolis, Ind: Wiley.

Hofacker, C. F. (2001). Internet marketing. New York: Wiley.

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Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (1991). Principles of marketing. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall.

Raab, G. (2010). The psychology of marketing: Cross-cultural perspectives. Burlington, VT: Gower.

Sargeant, A., & West, D. C. (2001). Direct & interactive marketing. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.

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Sheehan, B. (2010). Online marketing. Lausanne: AVA Academia.

Smith, P. (1995). Direct Marketing. Hampton, Middlesex [England: Key Note Publications.

Tuten, T., & Solomon, M. (2013). Social Media Marketing. Boston: Pearson.

Zarrella, D. (2010). The Social Media Marketing Book. Beijing: O'Reilly.

Zimmerman, J., & Ng, D. (2013). Social Media Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

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