Influential Users On Internet Social Networks: Benefits And Risks

Objective

Discuss About The Influential Users Internet Social Networks?

Social networking service is also known as web based service which allows the user or individuals to build a public or semi–public profile for the users and also with whom it shares the connections (Baltar and Brunet, 2012).  In Today’s world technology has change the mind of young people and due to this through internet the world is around the young people. The internet is also used by the young people through mobile, laptop, and also computer for the source of information and engage and construct and for maintenance of social network (Picazo-Vela, Gutiérrez-Martínez and Luna-Reyes, 2012). This research is proposing benefits of social networking services with understanding of its objectives, methods, questions alongside the study of previously proposed information in the discussion.

Increasing digitalization has created a significant impact of social networking sites on business operations as well. It helps organizations in effectively reaching the consumer base. The major objective of this report is to examine the possible advantages and disadvantages of the social networking in business (Kasavana, Nusair and Teodosic, 2010). Furthermore the research suggests how to enhance brand loyalty and customer satisfaction for a business organisation through various popular social media platforms

It identifies various essential benefits related to social networking service (SNS) such as it promotes the sense of self-esteem and belongings. It helps in delivering educational outcomes. Further, it provides in facilitating supportive relationships and also maximises promoting internet and increasing the benefits of SNS and promoting internet (Woodcock, Green and Starkey, 2011). The media literacy may help the young people to protect from risks of online interactions like cyber-building, or plundering.

According to Hendrickson, Rosen and Aune (2011), In today’s world Australia is the most prolific user of social media and the youngsters’ of Australia between the age of 16-29 year old are affected to the internet are 90%. In most of the time they use the internet on an average of 22 hours in a week. The young people gives more importance to SNS in everyday life is incontrovertible. From 12 to 16 year old use SNS is 97% (Ellis, 2011).  The vast majority of young people in Australia are enthusiastic. The users engaging on a daily basis with SNS through computer, mobile phones etc. Social networking service has now become an emerging field in research.

The (Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2009) has studied of the negative impact of social networking services on people. Internet freedom is viewed as it shapes the strategic choices of the citizen. There are enough evidences available which shows that benefit associated with the use of social networking sites. The usage of internet is such that 64% of 97% mobile users have internet connection in their mobile. The use of SNS became the number one online activity for 16 to 29 year age group with 83% (Gronum, Verreynne and Kastelle, 2012). It allows the users to communicate through the internet with others in many ways such as commenting on photos, posts, and updating own profile, posting public messages, Twitter, Facebook, “status” function etc. The most of the internet activities in which mobile users are involved include downloading content, emailing and visiting popular SNS. 30% of the SNS users access their account via their mobile handset. 

Scope

According to Trusov, Bodapati and Bucklin, (2010), it is an indisputable fact that SNS plays an important role in everyday life of young people. The age group which are majorly involved in SNS includes 90% among the age group of 12-17 years and 97% among the age group of 16-17 years. The number one online activity for the people of age group of 16-29 years includes SNS usage. It is reported that 83% of the people use SNS on regular basis (Sadler, Lee, Lim and Fullerton, 2010). SNS is a medium through which people can connect to each other in various form. Among the various forms through which people communicate include updating profile status, commenting on posts and photographs, posting and sharing public messages, etc. SNS provide instant messaging facility.

According to Kwon and Wen, (2010), among the top ten online activities in which young people are engaged includes writing and reading blogs, micro-bloggong through Facebook and Twitter. The popularity of blogging over Facebook and Twitter via mobile phones is increasing. SNS facilitates communication, sharing and creating various forms of content such as photos, videos, blogs and many more. In Australia, the young people below the age under 25 are the prolific user of SNS and it is the most active group on SNS (Molina?Morales and Martínez?Fernández, 2010).

According to Sigala, (2012), the young people engaged in SNS and social media practices are exposed to wide range of challenges and risk which include privacy and personal information management, cyber bullying and risk of predation. It has suggested in their study that Australian parents are also becoming active on SNS but they are finding it difficult to understand and find these digital activities as complex. Australian parents are majorly concern about wellbeing and safety of young people using SNS. According to Greenhow, (2011), the reason behind the concern toward the wellbeing and safety of young people using SNS is the lack of understanding and awareness of public nature of internet.

According to (Lenhart and Madden, 2007), many young people are aware of potential threats associated with privacy and they take steps also to minimise the risk. (Palfrey and et.al, 2008) suggested in their studies that risk or potential threat associated with online activity is no different with offline risks.

Traino, Andzulis, Rapp and Agnihotri, (2014) suggested in their studies that risk associated with online activity is real and the consequences associated with it can be more serious and they should neither be overestimated or under-estimated. As social networking sites have become everyday part of people, it is important to identify the positive impact of SNS on life of people. It is important to identify the understanding of young people to estimate the potential risk associated with the usage of SNS. Social media technologies foster democracy especially in less-confined political spaces. Social networking sites are growing so rapidly that they are creating monopoly in the market. There is a threat of privacy or leaking of personal information to third parties.

Introduction to Social Networking

It is studied by (Fernandez-Martinez and Morales-Molina, 2010) that social media communication is a modern type of word of mouth used earlier by marketers for both commercial and non-commercial communication. Social media act as a platform even for consumers to post their positive or negative comment regarding any product or service. The influence and effectiveness of social media is more as people with similar experience relate themselves and add themselves to such posts. They show their liking for the post and even post their own experience in the form of comment also. Thus, we can call social media as electronic form of word of mouth. It has become more popular with increasing popularity of internet and mobile phones. Social media can be very useful and beneficial to the organizations and individuals. It can be used in the form of forum for discussion, electronic bulletin board, newspaper, blog, SNS, etc. Another reason of SNS becoming popular day by day is vast information is available through it.

Even at global level, the popularity of SNS has raised. SNS has changed the way information are communicated (Kwon and Wen, 2010). Internet has changed the face of marketing activities and communication both. Even before making any purchase decision consumer prefers to search and compare products on internet. SNS are the best medium even to get review about the product.

SNS can serve as a tool for communication for marketers (Sadler, Lee, Lim and Fullerton, 2010). Today’s world rum around internet and internet has provided various benefits such as SNS. It facilitated transmission of information and hence marketers use them for both individual and product branding. One of the benefits of SNS is that information reaches to mass. Even marketers can reach to many people at a time on SNS and it is more persuasive way also. SNS are easily accessible to vast number of people and influences them also.

The objectives set in previous section have been focussed in entire research according to which several questions have been framed (Park and Lee, 2008). These questions have set entire study on right track in relation to benefits of social networking sites.

The primary questions for present research are as followings:

1. Does social network influence the business in the future?

H0: social network does not influence the business in the future

H1: social network influences the business in the future

1. Does the social networking help in enhancing the consumer’s satisfaction and brand loyalty through marketing?

H0: the social networking is not helpful in enhancing the consumer’s satisfaction and brand loyalty through marketing

Social Networking Benefits

H1: the social networking is helpful in enhancing the consumer’s satisfaction and brand loyalty through marketing

This paper incorporates the qualitative approach to study research objectives. The report will undertake a descriptive research in order to attain significant and well defined result. The analysis of social networking sites will be undertaken to attain reliable and actua; data.

Sampling is significant for structuring the study and attaining valid and significant data for the study. Social networks play a significant role in business growth and development. The population is vast for the study. In order to attain valid data sample analysis of businesses from Sydney will undertaken. 10 major companies will be reviewed and analysed. The researcher will focus on identifying the businesses’ association with social networks.

Secondary means of data collection has been adopted for the study to attain significant and well defined result. Sampling has been done effectively and the tool that has been employed to work on the data collection is particularly snow ball sampling measure where an in-depth research about the issue has been undertaken and to attain reliable and valid research results (Baltar and Brunet, 2012).

Research will be undertaken in a structured and well defined manner. The secondary data collection is challenging task. However the resreacher will ensure that  

The major limitation of the study is related to formulating objective of the study. The social networking service is a vast topic on which detailed study can be done. But the current study is limited to the benefits of social networking services. The study was limited to make it more specific. The second limitation of study was collection of data. It was equally important to collect valid and reliable data. Analysing the data collected was additional challenge of the study.

The following schedule of activities clearly defines the process of research and its time segment:

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish	Predecessors
Business research	13 wks	Tue 8/1/17	Mon 10/30/17
Market analysis	1 wk	Tue 8/1/17	Mon 8/7/17
Problem identification	1 wk	Tue 8/8/17	Mon 8/14/17	2
Drafting aims and objectives	1 wk	Tue 8/15/17	Mon 8/21/17	3
Undertaking past literature	2 wks	Tue 8/22/17	Mon 9/4/17	4
Choosing data collection method	1 wk	Tue 8/22/17	Mon 8/28/17	4
Sampling	2 wks	Tue 8/29/17	Mon 9/11/17	6
secondary data collection	2 wks	Tue 9/12/17	Mon 9/25/17	7,5
Data analysis	1 wk	Tue 9/26/17	Mon 10/2/17	8
Finding solution to research issues	1 wk	Tue 10/3/17	Mon 10/9/17	9
Draft submission	1 wk	Tue 10/10/17	Mon 10/16/17	10
Improving as per feedbacks	1 wk	Tue 10/17/17	Mon 10/23/17	11
Final submission	1 wk	Tue 10/24/17	Mon 10/30/17	12

References

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Ellis, P.D., 2011. Social ties and international entrepreneurship: Opportunities and constraints affecting firm internationalization. Journal of International business studies, 42(1), pp.99-127.

Greenhow, C., 2011. Online social networks and learning. On the horizon, 19(1), pp.4-12.

Gronum, S., Verreynne, M.L. and Kastelle, T., 2012. The role of networks in small and medium?sized enterprise innovation and firm performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 50(2), pp.257-282.

Hendrickson, B., Rosen, D. and Aune, R.K., 2011. An analysis of friendship networks, social connectedness, homesickness, and satisfaction levels of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(3), pp.281-295.

Kasavana, M.L., Nusair, K. and Teodosic, K., 2010. Online social networking: redefining the human web. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 1(1), pp.68-82.

Kwon, O. and Wen, Y., 2010. An empirical study of the factors affecting social network service use. Computers in human behavior, 26(2), pp.254-263.

Molina?Morales, F.X. and Martínez?Fernández, M.T., 2010. Social networks: effects of social capital on firm innovation. Journal of Small Business Management, 48(2), pp.258-279.

Picazo-Vela, S., Gutiérrez-Martínez, I. and Luna-Reyes, L.F., 2012. Understanding risks, benefits, and strategic alternatives of social media applications in the public sector. Government information quarterly, 29(4), pp.504-511.

Sadler, G.R., Lee, H.C., Lim, R.S.H. and Fullerton, J., 2010. Recruitment of hard?to?reach population subgroups via adaptations of the snowball sampling strategy. Nursing & health sciences, 12(3), pp.369-374.

Sigala, M., 2012. Social networks and customer involvement in new service development (NSD) The case of www. mystarbucksidea. com. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(7), pp.966-990.

Trainor, K.J., Andzulis, J.M., Rapp, A. and Agnihotri, R., 2014. Social media technology usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), pp.1201-1208.

Trusov, M., Bodapati, A.V. and Bucklin, R.E., 2010. Determining influential users in internet social networks. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(4), pp.643-658.

Woodcock, N., Green, A. and Starkey, M., 2011. Social CRM as a business strategy. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 18(1), pp.50-64.

Scope