“How brands use influencers on Instagram as marketing tool to influence their target market in Dubai”
The research topic is “how brands use influencers on Instagram as marketing tool to influence their target market in Dubai”
In today’s growing digital environment, social media is one effective platform which help in targeting the large number of customers. The use of social media is increasing a highly among the users and that somewhere helps the users to connect with each other from different areas or location (Hashim, 2017 & De Veirman et al., 2017). In similar manner, companies are using social media like facebook and Instagram, blogs, as marketing tools which help them in promoting their products online and also help in targeting a large customer’s base efficiently (Bardhan and Weaver, 2011 & Biaudet, 2017). In the views of Roncha and Radclyffe-Thomas (2016), nowadays, it is usually seen that company don’t invest in their investment much because now product influencer like celebrity or general public promote their product online and that somewhere provides the benefit to the company also. But at the same time, the influencer i.e., users have less followers on their accounts then it might create a negative impact on the sales of product of an organization (Hobson, 2017). Ing and Yazdanifard (2013) & Berg and Sterner (2015) also point out that however, there are some brands which still not believe in influences can be used as a marketing tool for promoting a brand. Influencers plays significant role in promoting a brand products and its services as they provides feedback after using the brand products on the social media like facebook and Instagram by tagging that brand blog (Lim et al., 2017).
The main purpose of this research study is to understand and identify that how brand uses Instagram as a marketing tool for targeting their market segments in Dubai. This research report also discusses more about different research methodology which researcher will use to conduct this research study efficiently and effectively. In respect to this, research design, research instrument, sampling method and data analysis method is also defined in–depth by the researcher. This research will also help in identifying that which research design and sample size should be used by the researcher.
The research report aim is to understand that how efficiently influencer on Instagram help the brand in targeting the market of Dubai. For this research study, researcher will use the qualitative research method and this research design is found to be well–suited to the research. This research design is selected because this qualitative research will provide support to researcher in developing a conceptual knowledge and understanding towards the research problem in an efficient manner (Smith, 2015).
The researcher uses a sampling method for collecting an accurate, reliable and valid data for completing a research on time. There are two different types of sampling methods such as probability and non-probability sampling methods (Larson and Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). For this research study, the researcher will use the non-probability sampling method as this method will help the researcher in collecting appropriate data. This sampling method will be appropriate to select the most relevant sample and the participants who have sound knowledge about the research topic. In concern to this, sample size selected for interview is 10 and for that, managers are selected as respondents.
The interview will be conducted in an effective way by preparing an interview questions in advance by considering that question that doesn’t affect the respondent emotionally or personally. The interview question will be design by the researcher by focusing that question should easily translate the information to interviewee that what is asked to him. In other words, the interview question will be related to the research topic so that research objectives can be met easily. However, general rules and regulation will be considered by the researcher while designing the research question. By using probability sampling method, it will help in reducing the biasness which is involved with the research outcome and also it provides an equal opportunity to every respondent (Kandola et al., 2014). However, for this research study, probability sampling method is selected instead of non-probability sampling.
For this research study, the researcher will collect the data from different sources in order to provide the best result outcome related to research topic. The use of data collection method helps the researcher in collecting a data in a systematic manner which is required. In data collection method, data can be collected in two different ways i.e., through primary data and secondary data. At the same time, O’Leary (2017) stated that primary data collection is used by researcher for collecting a fresh data whereas secondary data collection is used by researcher in order to collect the data from existing sources. In addition to this, the research instrument that will be used by researcher for collecting the data for this research is primary data collection because this research study will collect the data directly from respondents with the help of interview.
For collecting a primary data, the research will conduct a survey in which interview will be organized with a manager i.e., with 5 managers of international organizations which will be involved in this research study. The international companies managers will be selected like 2 as social media managers and 3 will be the fashion bloggers (food, fashion and travel). The social media managers that are selected are from international brand Admiria Company and one manger from Etiquelle Company. The managerial position of social media manager is as marketing manger which focuses on influencing the customers for their products and services. The interview will be conducted with them where interviewer will ask questions related to brand influencers on social media i.e., Instagram. Interview method will be effective to collect qualitative data and develop the understanding of the research topic in a comprehensive way. The qualitative interview found to be very flexible because this will help in encouraging more participants as well as help in understanding the participant’s viewpoint to a large extent. Interview will be narrative as the researcher will allow the participants to tell their own experiences and rely on the written or spoken words or visual representation of the participants. Interview will be conducted face-to-face as it will allow the researcher to avoid confusion or misinterpretation regarding interview questions by the participants.
While conducting an interview, interviewer will follow Kvale’s criteria i.e., knowledgeable, structuring, clear, sensitive, open, clear, etc. In addition, proper interview guide will be developed as it will help in using a proper interview technique for collecting data from the mangers. The questions that will be asked in the interview also prepared in a set of format i.e., introduction of interviewee, follow up, some direct or indirect questions, interpreting the answer, etc.
The Following interview will be used to determine the views of the research participants on the research topic:
Questionnaire for interview:
- What is your professional occupation?
- What your (theme) key identifying interest?
- How do you incorporate influencer marketing in your social media strategy?
- Why does your company choose to work with influencer marketing on particularly Instagram?
- What kind of qualities do you consider when selecting the right influencers for a brand?
- Who are you trying to influence by using influencers on Instagram as marketing tool?
- How does Instagram Polls help you to target your customers?
- How does Influencer marketing on Instagram differentiate from other marketing methods?
- How do you get information about the influencers’ audience?
- What does the process of creating an influencer marketing campaign on Instagram?
- What kind of information do you measure on Instagram influencer marketing?
- Do you have any advice for brands that are intended to adapt influencer marketing into their marketing strategy?
In this research study, collected data will be analyzed and evaluated in order to complete the full research study on time and effectively. Using data analysis, it make easier for researcher to analysis the data accuracy and relevancy (Gelman et al., 2014). There are different types of data analyzing method which researcher can use content analysis, statistical analysis, disclosure analysis and so on. For analyzing the collected data, researcher will use content analysis method for analyzing the data and for achieving the reliable outcome. The use of content analysis helps in developing the understanding towards the research problem by differentiating the relation between dependent and independent variables (Lewis, 2015). The use of content analysis will help in defining the collected data in more reliable and creative manner for accomplishing the research objective. However, data analysis will support the researcher in conducting a future study i.e., helps in evaluating that how effective influencers provide the benefit to the company.
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