Ethical Issues in Social Media Marketing - Research Paper Example

Ethical issues in social media marketing The study looks at the factors that are perceived to be unethical in social media marketing. Social media marketing is important for many small and medium businesses and the proper implementation can ensure the success of an organization. The literature review looks at conversion theory from a social media perspective. The research methodology uses a descriptive approach using primary research based on quantitative analysis. The results indicate that spamming, inbox messaging and value added marketing are perceived to be unethical by a majority of the respondents. Additionally, viral marketing and value-added marketing are viewed as ethical alternatives in social media marketing. There was also no link between gender and the perception of the respondents towards ethical perceptions of social media marketing. The main recommendation that can be given is that small businesses should opt for value added marketing or viral marketing in order to take advantage of conversion theory is changing the perceptions of majority of social media users about their products. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background of the study Social media marketing is the marketing using social media websites as the main medium of message delivery. Social media marketing as a broad concept is an important new development in marketing for two main reasons. The first is the low cost of marketing. Traditional methods of advertisements are quite expensive, and this is restrictive to most small and medium scale companies. The second reason it is important is because it offers businesses an opportunity to exert control over the target customers. Social media marketing is important especially to start-up businesses and small businesses. Ethics has become an important issue in the recent past (Schultz & Peltier, 2013). Ethics refers to the behaving in a way that is acceptable to the general public. Ethics is something that most businesses are required to practice. 1.2 Statement of the problem While social media marketing is useful to businesses, there have been many complaints by people that some of the practices are unethical. These have become frequent in social media marketing, but there are different people who that most people are bothered by social media marketing tactics (Schultz & Peltier, 2013). There is a need to determine the specific social media marketing tactics that are viewed to be unethical by consumers and finding alternatives that can be used to ethically market products over social media. 1.3 Aims and objectives of the study The main aim of the study is to determine whether spamming, public bashing, invasion of privacy or inbox advertisements are viewed as negative marketing practices. The specific objectives of the study are: To determine whether spamming, inbox adverts or public bashing are perceived to be unethical by consumers To determine whether viral marketing and value-added marketing are perceived to be ethical by social media users To determine whether gender influences the perception of ethics in social media marketing The objectives highlighted can be given as the following research questions. Are spamming, inbox adverts, public bashing or an invasion of privacy unethical methods of marketing by social media users? Are viral marketing and value-added marketing perceived to be ethical alternatives of marketing by social media users? Does gender influence the ethics of social media marketing? 1.4 Justification of the study Social media marketing is the most preferred marketing tactic for small businesses and start-ups. This is because social media marketing is the cheapest method of marketing for such businesses. Determining the most unethical and the ethical marketing tactics based on the perception of employees is an important thing (Kalia, 2013). This is an important study because it looks at the perception of social media users to determine what they view as ethical or unethical marketing. 1.5 Scope of the study The study is based on social media user’s perception, and this means that is can be extrapolated to represent a large portion of social media users. This is specifically in the United States in the geographical region around the University. 1.6 Overview of the study The first segment of the study is an introduction that provides an overview of the study as well as research objectives. A review of literature is given in the second segment of the study. This is followed by a research methodology and a data analysis section. A conclusion if offered along with recommendations on changes that can be made. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Theoretical framework The main theory that is considered in social media marketing is conversion theory. This is where a minority of people create influence on a larger majority of people to change behavior. The theory was postulated by Moscovici, who highlighted that the minority in a group can influence change in the majority if the minority group was confident, consistent, unbiased and resistant (Kent, 2015). In social media marketing, the most productive way of marketing is by identifying such individuals and including them in the marketing creation process through value addition. 3.0 Research methodology 3.1 Research approach Determining the research approach that will be used in a study is an important part of any research undertaking. The research approach is based on three types of research that can be conducted. The first is an exploratory study where a researcher seeks to create a model or a theory that can be used by other people. The second is a descriptive study. A descriptive study is a study that seeks to provide additional information on a new topic. The third type of a study is an explanatory study that seeks to provide cause and effect relationships between variables (Ali, 2011). The study is based on a descriptive approach to providing information on a topic that has already been researched. The second important decision that has to be made is determining whether to conduct a primary or a secondary study. A primary study is a study that is yet to have been conducted by other people. This type of study has a benefit of being fine-tuned to answer the research questions. The alternative is a secondary study where information is acquired from previous scholars or other databases. The main advantage is the ease of access, but the detriment is that the data may not adequately answer a question (Bernard & Ryan, 2010). This is why the study uses a primary approach to answering the research questions effectively. 3.2 Research design The design of the research has to be done properly to ensure that the study is reliable. Since the study uses a primary approach, it is important for a primary research design to be used. There are three main designs that can be used. The first is an experiment design, but this type of design is best suited for laboratory experiments and not human-based experiments. The second are focus groups where people are gathered and interviewed to provide information. This type of data collection technique is expensive because there are costs that have to be included. This makes it not suitable for student studies (Kumar, 2005). The alternative is a survey. They are less exact than focus groups, but they also provide reliable information when conducted effectively. 3.3 Sampling criteria The method of sampling is important in determining the nature of the sample and the sample size that is required. This is a perception study, and it will be conducted in the university due to ease of access to respondents as well as saving on the cost of data collection (Vogt, 2010). The method of sampling chosen is simple random sampling where the target population of the university has 90 respondents selected at random from the students to participate in the study. 3.4 Data collection Data collection methods are indicative of the available resources and the measure taken to reduce the effort needed in data collection. The tools required used in the data collection are a questionnaire and a computer to reduce the data recording process. The questionnaire is semi-structured in nature. The questions are coded in SPSS and the computer used in the collection of responses by directly entering them into the computer during the interview process. The data is quantitative in nature (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell, & Huysamen, 2005). This is preferred to aid in the analysis since the quantitative analysis can be done using SPSS software. 3.5 Ethical considerations When conducting any study, there is a need for ethics to be maintained. Ethical considerations in any research undertaking involve protection of the respondents from negative repercussions. The main ethical consideration made is avoiding using their names. Additionally, the confidentiality assurance is made to the respondents, and they are more willing to give correct answers. 4.0 Data Analysis 4.1 Descriptive analysis The first assessment involves determining the gender of the respondents. The gender of the respondents is given in the following table and graph. gender Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid male 46 51.1 51.1 51.1 female 44 48.9 48.9 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 There were 46 males and 44 female respondents in the study. The study also indicates that all of the respondents used social media. The respondents were queried on their perception of how unethical spamming is in social media marketing. The results are given in the following table. Spamming Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid strongly agree 39 43.3 43.3 43.3 agree 22 24.4 24.4 67.8 neutral 25 27.8 27.8 95.6 disagree 2 2.2 2.2 97.8 strongly disagree 2 2.2 2.2 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 The study revealed that 39 of the respondents strongly agree that spamming is unethical, 22 agree while 25 were neutral that spamming is an unethical marketing tactic. On the other hand, two respondents disagreed that spamming is unethical while another two strongly disagreed. The study then reviewed the perceptions of inbox messaging on social media. The results are given in the following table and graph. Inbox Messaging Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid strongly agree 30 33.3 33.3 33.3 agree 30 33.3 33.3 66.7 neutral 24 26.7 26.7 93.3 disagree 3 3.3 3.3 96.7 strongly disagree 3 3.3 3.3 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 The study revealed that 30 of the respondents strongly agree that inbox messaging is unethical, 30 more agree while 24 were neutral that inbox messaging is an unethical marketing tactic. On the other hand, three respondents disagreed that inbox messaging is unethical while another three strongly disagreed. The study then reviewed the habit of public bashing on social media during the marketing campaign. Public bashing Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid strongly agree 35 38.9 38.9 38.9 agree 30 33.3 33.3 72.2 neutral 21 23.3 23.3 95.6 disagree 1 1.1 1.1 96.7 strongly disagree 3 3.3 3.3 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 The study revealed that 35 of the respondents strongly agree that public bashing by social media markers is unethical, 30 more agree while 24 were neutral that public bashing by social media marketers is an unethical marketing tactic. On the other hand, one of the respondents disagreed that public bashing is unethical while another three strongly disagreed. The study then enquired whether viral marketing was viewed as an ethical practice. Viral marketing Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid strongly agree 26 28.9 28.9 28.9 agree 37 41.1 41.1 70.0 neutral 23 25.6 25.6 95.6 disagree 2 2.2 2.2 97.8 strongly disagree 2 2.2 2.2 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 The study revealed that 26 of the respondents strongly agreed that viral marketing was an ethical alternative to social media marketing and another 37 agreed with this assertion. There were 23 respondents who were neutral, two who disagreed and another two who strongly disagreed that viral marketing is an ethical alternative. The study then looked at value added marketing that included consumers in the marketing. Value added marketing Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid strongly agree 27 30.0 30.0 30.0 agree 23 25.6 25.6 55.6 neutral 36 40.0 40.0 95.6 disagree 2 2.2 2.2 97.8 strongly disagree 2 2.2 2.2 100.0 Total 90 100.0 100.0 The study revealed that 27 of the respondents strongly agreed that value added marketing was an ethical alternative to social media marketing and another 23 agreed with this assertion. There were 36 respondents who were neutral, two who disagreed and another two who strongly disagreed that value added marketing is an ethical alternative. 4.2 Inferential Statistics Inferential statistics refers to analysis that compares variables. The first analysis is correlation analysis to determine whether there was any relationship between the variables. Correlations spamming Inbox Messaging Public bashing spamming Pearson Correlation 1 -.007 -.013 Sig. (2-tailed) .951 .904 N 90 90 90 Inbox Messaging Pearson Correlation -.007 1 .104 Sig. (2-tailed) .951 .330 N 90 90 90 Public bashing Pearson Correlation -.013 .104 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .904 .330 N 90 90 90 When looking at public bashing, spamming and inbox messaging perceptions among the respondents it is clear that there is no significant correlation between any of the perceptions. Correlations Value added marketing Viral marketing Value added marketing Pearson Correlation 1 .032 Sig. (2-tailed) .767 N 90 90 Viral marketing Pearson Correlation .032 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .767 N 90 90 There is also no correlation between value added marketing and viral marketing perceptions. An ANOVA test to determine whether the gender of the respondents affects the perception of percentage ethical practices in social media marketing is given in the table. ANOVA Percentage ethical rating Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups 411.702 1 411.702 2.041 .157 Within Groups 17753.854 88 201.748 Total 18165.556 89 The inferential statistics indicate that gender does not significantly influence the percentage ethical perceptions in the sample. 4.3 Discussions The results of the study answer all three research questions. First, inbox messaging, spamming and public bashing by social media marketers has been revealed to be unethical based on the perception of the respondents in the study. This in attributed to the lack of convenience that respondents have had from spamming and inbox messaging. Public bashing is a deep fear that all the respondents have towards social media marketing and most of them viewed the practice to be unethical. The second research question shows that most of the respondents perceive viral marketing and value-added marketing to be ethical alternatives. This is mainly because viral marketing, as well as value-added marketing, are customer oriented marketing practice where the social media users are included in the distribution process. This reduces cases of unethical behavior by marketers on social media platforms. Finally, gender was not a significant factor in the perception that the respondents had towards ethicality of social media marketing. 5.0 Conclusions and recommendations 5.1 Conclusions All the objectives set out at the beginning of the study are determined. The study determines that spamming, social media marketing, and public bashing are all considered unethical by social media users in the university. This is an indication that social media marketers are rubbing many social media users the wrong way by using the highlighted marketing tactics. Additionally, viral marketing and value-added marketing are considered to be more ethical alternatives that can be used by social media marketers when promoting goods or services online. This is mainly due to the consumer involvement in the process to ensure that everything is done properly without infringing on people’s rights. Finally, there is no relationship between gender and ethical perceptions. Ethical perceptions are based on what society views as proper practice, and this is not limited by the gender of the respondent. 5.2 Recommendations Small and medium companies find many marketing tactics too expensive or lacking the right results. However, social media marketing allows them get better results from marketing initiatives. However, the popular methods of spamming, inbox messaging and public bashing are all viewed to be unethical. Instead, they should adopt viral and value added marketing instead. References Ali, D. S. (2011). Research Methodology: Data Analysis. Ankara: Bilkent University. Bernard, H. R., & Ryan, G. W. (2010). Text analysis : qualitative and quantitative methods. Handbook of methods in cultural anthropology, I(1), 595-646. Broughton, A., Higgins, T., Hicks, B., & Cox, A. (2010). Workplaces and Social Networking: The Implications for Employment Relations. New York: The Institute for Employment Studies). Cecconi, A. (2007). Research Paper on Social Networking. Indianapolis: Nova Southeastern University. Kalia, G. (2013). A Research Paper on Social media: An Innovative Educational Tool. Issues and Ideas in Education, I(1), 43-50. Kent, M. L. (2015). Social Media Circa 2035: Directions in Social Media Theory. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 1-4. Kumar, R. (2005). Research methodology : A -by-step guide for beginners (2nd ed.). London: Sage. Schultz, D. E., & Peltier, J. (2013). Social media’s slippery slope: challenges, opportunities and future research directions. Journal of research ininteractive marketing, VII(2), 86-99. Vogt, W. P. (2010). Data collection (1st ed.). Los Angeles: Sage. Welman, C., Kruger, F., Mitchell, B., & Huysamen, G. K. (2005). Research methodology. (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Appendix Questionnaire 1. What is your gender? Male Female 2. Do you actively use social media? Yes No 3. Do you believe that spamming in of social media marketing is an unethical practice by companies? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree 4. Do you believe that inbox messaging in of social media marketing is an unethical practice by companies? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree 5. Do you believe that public bashing in of social media marketing is an unethical practice by companies? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree 6. What is the percentage rating that you can give to ethics in social media marketing used by different companies? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7. Do you think that viral marketing is an ethical practice that can be used to replace unethical marketing practices? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree 8. Do you think that value added marketing where customers are involved in the marketing practice is an ethical alternative to the present unethical marketing practices? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Read More