Conclusions and Recommendations
5.3 Recommendations for Future Research
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5.2.8 The Impact of Demographics such as Age and Gender on Social Media Browsing
There was no significant relationship between ‘age’ and ‘actively seeking out brand pages on social media platforms’. Hence age does not influence social media browsing in the youth market.
However it was ascertained that there is a significant relationship between gender and social media browsing in the youth market which is consistent with the findings of Hargittai (2007).
Minimal academic research has been conducted with regard to the effect that demographics have on social media browsing and thus little comparison could be drawn between past and present studies.
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regarding demographics such as age and gender and its impact on social media browsing which could be explored through further study.
• Li and Bernoff (2008) identified socio techno graphic profiles of consumers and the results of this study identified market segments of consumers. However, other social media user profiles and market segments can be investigated and added to this list. Furthermore, the size of each of these user profiles and market segments can be investigated, as it significantly influences the purchasing behaviour and patterns of consumers within the social media environment.
• Computer literacy plays a significant role in influencing the purchasing behaviour of consumers in the youth market through social media platforms. An increase in computer literacy could lead to more social media usage which may in turn increase purchasing through social media platforms. Research should be conducted to examine the perceptions of youth with regards to purchasing through social media platforms, with the aim of producing positive perceptions and positive behaviour towards purchasing through social media platforms.
• Social media continues to develop and expand on a daily basis, with the various social media platforms making several changes and improvements. Future research can attempt to identify other and new social media developments, features and characteristics which might not have been included in this study, but which has an impact on the purchasing behaviour of consumers.
• The results of the study suggest that consumers make purchases using information obtained through social media platforms. For the purpose of future research, researchers can determine what product or shopping information consumers sought on social media platforms and make this available as it has a significant impact on the purchasing behaviour of consumers, making it a fertile ground for research.
• The results of this study suggest that consumers do not engage in purchasing behaviour through social media platforms because of the risks, lack of familiarity and privacy issues surrounding social media platforms. Future research should investigate what factors would convert these non-buyers into buyers over social media platforms. Research should include investigating ways to neutralise the factors identified in the study as deterrents of purchasing through social media platforms.
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• The results of the study suggest that consumers purchase ‘online’ for convenience, better prices, discounts, variety, time saving and low buying effort. Future research should empirically determine what actions on social media platforms affect the identified factors of revisits and repurchase.
• Future research can investigate how consumers will learn to accept and live with the openness brought about by social media platforms. In addition, research can explore what impact this openness has on a consumer’s daily activities, purchase behaviour and purchase preferences.
• Social media platforms have billions of users, many of whom have integrated this into their daily activities. Consumers spend hours on these social media platforms and often become addicted to them to the extent of isolating themselves at social events because they are busy accessing social media platforms. Future research can explore how social media platforms have caused people to become less sociable in a physical setting.
• The growth of prosumption and the changing behaviour of consumers on social media platforms have presented marketers with new challenges. This has forced marketers to consider new marketing and communication channels and marketing practices in approaching the post modern consumer. However, as consumers increasingly mediate messages between marketers, businesses and consumers within the social media environment, the power and influence of paid advertising is diminishing. For the purpose of future research, researchers can look at the impact of prosumption on paid advertising as social media encompasses an inherent shift of informational power.
• For the purpose of future research, researchers can make use of perceptual mapping to gain insight on the views of the different types of social media platforms which can assist marketers in determining which social media platforms to use and, how to use them more effectively when targeting the youth market in their efforts to generate purchasing behaviour. Even though this study does not cover aspects of the relationship between consumer satisfaction and the different types of social media platforms, further research can be conducted to validate the relationship between the different social media platform designs and consumer satisfaction. The importance of revealing the above can provide significant value and benefit to
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marketers. Research can also identify significant features and characteristics relevant to specific products, brands or industries.