Facebook as a marketing channel : A study of eCommerce retailers’ Facebook page ambitions

Abstract: Background: Internet and social networks have evolved to become a natural part of people‘s life and innumerous hours are spent every day interacting through these platforms. This evolution has resulted in higher expectations on fast and efficient communication with retailer‘s customers. Today‘s customers are well informed and have instant access to information about retailers and their products. Businesses have realized the potential for utilizing social media in terms of creating brand recognition, generating revenue, gaining feedback and insight from customers and improving the customer relationship. Social me-dia is no longer just an option for enterprises that wants to stay ahead in today‘s business environment, it is necessary. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify key concepts for how eCommerce retail-ers utilize Facebook page marketing in order to acquire and sustain customer relationships. The authors will further declare the level of ambition among the eCommerce retailers with Facebook page marketing. Method: The method used for this thesis is of qualitative and both inductive and deduc-tive character. The hermeneutic approach has been used in order to provide an understand-ing of how eCommerce retailers utilize Facebook page marketing for customer relationship building. Primary data has been collected through semi-structured interview with eCom-merce retailers in Sweden. Secondary data was obtained primary through literature and searches in Business Source Premier and Emerald Journals. Selection of respondents has been made by research about industries presence in social media. Theoretical Framework: This study is based on theories within social media marketing, relationship marketing and communication. The theoretical framework is of both funda-mental and detailed character in order to give the reader a better understanding for the top-ic and is further the foundation for our interview questions. Conclusion: Among the retailers that participated in our study, the positive aspects of Facebook page marketing have far outweighed the negative; however, we have identified dif-ferences in the level of ambitions among our respondents. When weighting the evidence we can interpret that existing routines for publications among the respondents are undeve-loped and undefined. We could further determine that our respondents are using Facebook more as a traditional one-way marketing channel with promotion of products rather than enhancing the possibilities for dialogue between the organization and their group of inter-est. Last, it prevail doubt over the value of spending money and time on Facebook page marketing, even though all of the respondents indicated will increase their budget for marketing in this medium.