Introduction 

The purpose of this study is to develop the research proposal for the selected topic i.e. Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behavior in context to UK. the cause behind to select this topic due to increasing trend of social-site networking usage for bringing awareness about the product among the individuals audiences (Stephen, 2016). However, this is the best study to investigate in detail manner as it will guide the international businesses to understand the scope or significances of social-media marketing for influencing people decision-making. Thus, this study would help the reader to gain knowledge about the theories or methods that used to reveal the impact of social media significances for the consumer buying behavior.

In addition to this research proposal, there are different heading or sub-heading tend to be taken for reaching towards the relevant study and able to develop outline for the dissertation. This research work will undertake various discussions over the chapters like review of literature, research methodology along with the preparation of Gantt chart which present the duration of completing each activity in the dissertation (Obeidat et al., 2017). This proposal will investigate about the research work and support the researcher to further prepare the detail study of selected topic and proved it with the use of right research method which provides proper analysis of study.

Research Aims/Objectives 

The aim of this study is to study about the impact of Social Media on Consumer Behavior in context to UK. This study can be proved with undertake of research objective which helps to reach out the proper analysis of research study.

Objectives

• To study the Social media as a electronic word-of-mouth
• To find out Variations in purchase decision behavior
• To study the consumer buying behavior based on classic or traditional purchase model
• To analyze Impact of internet on UK consumer behavior

Research Questions

• What do you understand by the social-media application? How it helps to spread word-f-mouth?
• What kind of buyer’s behavior exist in across the globe and how the behavior influences their purchasing action?
• What are the consumer buying behavior theory developed that could help to understand the purchasing pattern of people?
• How internet influences the UK consumer buying behavior?

On the basis of above Objectives & Questions, it is stated that researcher need to find out the information about these questions in proper manner as it assist towards the gaining of relevant study. The objectives and questions would support to understand the consumer behaviors and their perception at the time of buying the product. Thus, these areas allow to reaching on the research study on quickly manner without failing in it.

Research Significance 

The study related to social-media marketing could brought numerous significances for the different firms in terms to gain in-depth knowledge about the usage of social-site and kind of opportunities lies for the firms for gaining recognition through utilize these applications. However, this study can also help the UK firms to understand about the different behaviors of customers through undertake classic/traditional purchasing model (Vinerean, 2017). Basically, this model presents from the creating awareness to gaining information pattern of consumers within which it become easy for both existing and new entrepreneurs to design their business strategies accordingly. Moreover, this research study is also significant due to it provide instances of UK consumers in order to explain the study of consumer buying behavior in context to social-media marketing. So, this study would guide the firms regards to research topic on practical manner. However, the study would also act as a foundation for future research work on the digital marketing as it is well-known that now online marketing is not only about the social-media content or images but it goes far behind with the introduction of technologies like Artificial intelligences or Virtual intelligences (Barreda et al., 2015). So, for more innovation in future, this research study would definitely act as guidances for the researchers in order to explore more about the social-site marketing and its significances towards the consumer buying behavior.

Other than that, the investigation over the social-site marketing would also help the consumers in a way to feel recognized that in what ways firms keep an eye to them and fulfill their needs on best possible manner. However, this platform also supports the consumers to directly provide their preferences or taste related information to marketers and firms within which they get the customized services. This, these areas reveals that this research topic hold various benefits for the firms as the study will solve various queries of marketers and support them with higher customer base.

Literature Review (Background of the research) 

Introduction 

This paper provides details of the decision process of consumers for purchases with the special emphasis on how this process is influenced by possible use of social-media. However, it is found that social-site networking is in current trend due to which growing craze among the people (Xiang et al., 2015). This is because social-site platform support the people with connects with different individuals which turn out to make proper socialization. So, this platform provides assistance to marketers to use the sites for creating maximum awareness about the firm and its product (Kim et al., 2016). That’s why, it is important to gain in-depth knowledge about the different social-media application and its impact over the consumer buying behavior.

Social media as an electronic word-of-mouth 

According to Teng et al. (2017), there are different social-media application exist in the current scenario and it is Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube or Whatsapp which is largely used by the marketers for making promotion of their products. It is true that these social plays an important role in respect to create positive word of mouth as if individual people like the product then it definitely post on their social site account within which different people get access of product and develop an utility to buy them. That’s why, it is considered that social-media has a major role especially for making positive word of mouth.

(Sources: Baek et al., 2017)

On the basis of this figure, it is identified that Facebook is the one application which is majorly focused by the brands or marketers for spreading word of mouth as 2.26 billion people are engaged with the application. Besides that, Youtube ranked second as a tool of promotion and now it is used by brands in terms to gain high endorser. Likewise, now-a-days there is huge craze of developing own channel on Youtube within which brands try to reach out on those channels which get high attention of audiences for promoting their product by using it (Wakefield and Bennett, 2018). These strategies support the brand to get high acceptances from the people word of mouth.

Variations in purchase decision behavior 

Karimi et al. (2015) classified the buying behavior of people into four kinds and it would help to understand the consumer behavior. It includes complex buying, Dissonance-reducing, Habitual Buying and variety-seeking buying etc.

Among above consumer behavior, it is identified that complex buying behavior or Dissonance-reducing behavior individuals are high at risk due to presences of various aspects such as infrequent or expensive in nature due to which marketers are little conscious about the content of message as such buyer behavior is quite uncertain so it would create difficulties for firm in terms of their retention level. Other than that, habitual buying behavior consumer relatively proved to be more loyal for the brand but variety-seeking customers are tedious to understand as such kind of people are never stick to the brand and keep changing their taste and preferences.

To study the consumer buying behavior based on classic or traditional purchase model

In order to understand the UK consumer behavior at the time of buying, the classic purchase model tend to be well suited as this model supports to understand how information gained by the consumer and how they take up such facts (Hirai et al., 2018). Based on this, the responses of such consumers are analyzed. So this model supports the marketers of different brand to undertake this model for gaining large information about the consumer perception or buying behavior.

(Sources: Karimi et al., 2015)

Need Recognition:- It is the first stage of buyer-decision process. The combination of both internal stimuli (Hunger) and external stimuli (Advertisement) makes the consumer realize that there is a difference between their current state and their desired state. This stage helps the individuals to get knowledge about their needs and further actions has been done accordingly.

Information Search:- After recognition of need, then next step is to search for the information that can support to fulfill their desired needs (Srinivasan et al., 2016). For this, individual always search for internal knowledge first then if it not sufficient then it goes for an existing external facts. It is majorly are the internet, social-sites which is majorly consider for any type of information. Other than that, friends and relatives also have a great impact on the searching of information about the fulfillment of needs.

Alternative Evaluation:- Once individual get the information then it uses such facts for evaluate it in order to assess alternative produce choices in order to arrive at the purchasing decision. This is majorly done by the complex buyer or Dissonance-reducing buyer behavior kind of personalities (Giampietri et al., 2018).

Purchase decision:– It is the main step for the individual as it takes buying decision so after analysis of information and then collect the facts related to alternative products so it gives more clarity about the buying of product. In this step, the information availability, family or friends responses are important to guide the individual decision.

Post-Purchase Behavior:- After purchasing the product, the consumer analyze the product based on the performance based on expectations and reach a state of satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Thus, this model will guide the steps about how consumer retrieves facts and what factors influences in their decision (Wongpitch et al., 2016). So, this area helps the marketers to take out right path for reaching towards the getting consumer positive behavior.

Impact of internet on UK consumer behavior  

In the views of Park and Lee (2017), it is found that there is huge impact of internet or social-site technology over the people buying behavior due to IoT technology now become an element which is not a luxury product but it is necessity for every individual as with this platform, consumer able to connect with wider audiences. So the use of internet or social-site can be count as an important necessity for the individuals in current scenario.

In respect to this study, Zeugner-Roth et al. (2015) stated that social-site is not only become a method of promotion of product but it also help to built up the healthy relationship with consumers over a longer period of time. This is done through provide personalized offer or discounts to them so that marketers can retain their loyalty for longer time. Thus, it can be stated that use of internet hold numerous benefits for the marketers or firm to gain access of consumer at wider level.

Research Methodology 

Research Philosophy

The research philosophy is important to undertake as it assist towards gaining detail knowledge about the research study through select right philosophy. Among interpretivim, positivism or realism, the researcher need to focus more on the positivism method as it is more based on scientific evidences like experiments and statistics to reveal the true nature of study (Fletcher, 2017). This support the researcher to gain the facts related to social media impact over consumer behavior along with proper justification. This is because there are various experiments has been done so that’s will help the researcher for this study concern to proved null hypothesis which stated that there is positive impact of social media over the consumer buying behavior.

Research Method

The primary method would be use for this research which will help to gain authentic or real time information about the topic. This is because conduct survey allows research team to get the present views of people which would be more feasible to reach on right research analysis. However, the study will undertake the survey method via questionnaire within which 50 consumers of UK will select to gain their response regards to usage of social-site and how they find information from this sources about the brand (Li and Chu, 2018). This method would help the researcher to estimate the impact of social-site applications over the consumer buying behavior.

However, the questionnaires include 10 questions and it is closed ended one. The questionnaire can be sent through use of emails or social-site applications etc. Thus, this practice would support the researcher to reach on the relevant research information which support towards the achieving of right research study.

Sampling (Population profile sampling theories and sampling size) 

The random sampling method would be used by the researcher which is relevant in terms to save the time and support the quick selection of consumers for the survey. The cause behind to select this method due to having less chance of biasness due to which researcher able to get the best desired result. However, the sample size for the survey would be 50 UK consumers which definitely help the researcher to reach on relevant conclusion and support to make the research study on proper manner (Cunningham et al., 2015).

The population profile include majorly UK adult once who belong to 18-35 age group as they are the major users of social-site applications. So the probability of gaining right or authentic data is more with the selection of this age group (Etikan and Bala, 2017). It is found that developed countries are more utilize the online activities on proper manner especially for e-marketing or e-retailing. However, 80% people in UK are engaged with the technology due to which marketers find more convenient to reach out the population through access of social-site applications (Valerio et al., 2016). Thus, this is the reason why researcher selected UK market for the survey conduct as the chances of gaining authentic information lies in this region. It would support in the positive research result or outcome.

In order to complete the information collection work, researcher could use of cross-sectional time horizon method as it is relevant to reach towards the valid research study due to it allows the researcher to complete the work on time. This method will prove to be significant for this research study as cross-sectionals allows to collecting the facts from sample at a one time in a day, week or month. So, this saves the time of research team and based on this, it become easy to analyze the collected facts or provide relevant findings to reader. This way researcher can accomplish proper sample size population and their responses on timely manner.

Accessibility 

The researcher can access the data from the market on proper manner through use of survey questionnaires as discussed above. Besides that, the e-books or journal articles on the social-site significances would also help to understand the aspects of social-site applications over the consumers (Effing and Spil, 2016). However, the accessibility towards data is the major step of researcher as without this it won’t be possible to get the desired result. This is because researcher can only able to analyze the topic when they have proper access of related topic data or people responses. Then this helps them to interpret the data on relevant manner which can give out the good analysis within which reader can able to conclude it and develop right understanding along with able to apply on their business or professional lives. Thus, the selected sources will give rise to the positive outcome to the researcher which tends to be helpful for various businesses or entrepreneurs to market their product or create awareness among the larger audiences.

Ethical Issues 

The ethical consideration is an important part for the research study as it is only the sources which support the researcher to gain the relevant result. This is because if any kind of unfair or unethical practice occurs in the form of improper guidelines follows and use of other researcher work then it definitely affects the research result which is not relevant for any research firm. In such case, it is important to undertake the following areas which mention below:-

In context to primary methodology, it is stated that it is must to ensure that the respondents personal information such as name, designation, family info need to be kept hidden so that it could not reach by any unauthorized sources. Likewise, Harriss and Atkinson (2015) revealed that research firm usually sells out the respondent information to the companies in exchange of money. This practice consider as an unethical in context to research work. So, it is important to avoid such kind of actions in this research work.

The ethics are not solely stick to the protecting of individual facts but it is also must to ensure the usage of copyright and trademark related activities as it is quite common in the research work. Other than that, there is lot of problem occur related to plagiarism or referencing. So, need to be undertaken properly for ensuring the development of right research report. Lastly, the adhering of university guidelines regards to font size, margin or spacing are important as these areas only provide the right presentation of the report. Otherwise, no reader likes to read the unorganized proposal or dissertation.

Deliverables 

The research deliverables are important to analyze as without having right research activities, the relevancy of result does not hold. That’s why, researcher need to ensure that he/she is moving towards the right deliveries. The major question is that how to identify whether the research deliver is relevant enough to the given study or not. For this, it is must to analyze the deliveries as per the research objectives and questions (Van Duin et al., 2016). This is because with measuring of findings as per the objectives, then it becomes easy to analyze whether research result is authentic enough. Likewise, this research deliveries need to prove whether social-site marketing is proving significant for the firms in current scenario as per influence their buying behavior. So, with the getting prove of this study then it is assume that study deliver is relevant to objective of this research.

Required Resources 

The required resources for this research study include the skills workforces in research team, technical expertise and physical equipments like paper or computer devices etc. These resources are important enough as without this research work can’t be possible enough to complete or gain. However, the researcher requires to hire the right surveyor team so that they able to select right UK consumer who have using the social-site or involve on e-commerce shopping as these kind of people can give more or proper explanation about the research topic. Otherwise researcher will struggle to prove this study (McKernan, 2013). That’s why, it is important for research team to have right workforces that have capability to collect sufficient facts about the research topic. So that the collected facts can presented in such a way that reader able to interpret it and draw a conclusion.

The availability of research resources are also important including print media, books, brochures, journals and magazines etc as these provide basic facts about the usage of internet or purpose of using the internet. Then this guides the research team to identify what kind of applications or video channels are high in demand.

Implementation Time Table (Gantt-like chart) 

The implementation of research proposal is yet another crucial aspect in the research study as with guiding the researcher about the time taken in each activity under research proposal will help to complete the work on time (Ong et al., 2016). This time table is basically guidance’s related duration within which researcher chapters such as introduction, LR or collection of data, analysis and conclusion can be completed.

This research proposal plan will reduce the chances of errors or mistakes in the work and support with the timely completion of work. This is because the presences of chapter will help the research team to know where they should move and how to reach on the desired research result. Thus, this proposal will help to achieve the relevant or valid research outcome.

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