Volume 08 Issue 02 February 2025
1Angel Grace Ruita, 2Juliena C. Colete,3Jane Magpili,4Annie Jean Uao,5Dr. Jolou Vincent M. Jala,6Dranreb D. Oco,7Chrizza P. Tumaroy ,8Gervon Cornelius S. Lopina
1,2,3,4Student, City College of El Salvador
5,7,8Faculty, City College of El Salvador
6Program Head, City College of El Salvador
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v8-i2-09Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
Facebook is a valuable digital marketing tool as it enables companies and businesses to interact with customers, build brand awareness and access an extensive audience. This study aims to examine how effective Facebook is as a digital marketing tool for student online sellers. It investigates on the respondents’ thoughts on selling on Facebook, What Facebook have that others don't, the features of Facebook, the impact of Facebook on respondents’ businesses and their thoughts about Facebook's boost feature. The researcher employed a qualitative research methodology, focusing on Husserl's transcendental phenomenological research design. In addition, the proponents conducted semi-structured interview questions; the data were collected from 10 entrepreneurship students at the City College of El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, and Philippines. Furthermore, the responses were interpreted using thematic analysis. The results show that the use of Facebook as a digital marketing tool really helps student sellers as it yields financial opportunities, a broad reach and market potential, and accessibility and usability. In what Facebook has that others don’t, the result was categorized in terms of its user base and popularity, as well as community and engagement. Moreover, on the features of Facebook that the respondents know, aside from messenger, group pages, posting, and live was Marketplace and Selling Features, Visual Content Sharing, Limited to No Idea. In addition, on the impact on Facebook on the respondents’ businesses, the commonality was Positive Sales Impact, Increased Customer Engagement and Customer Feedback and Reviews. Furthermore, on the respondents’ thoughts about Facebook's boost feature, the commonality was Awareness and Familiarity, Lack of Awareness and Heard about it but Uncertain. The study concludes that Facebook significantly benefits student sellers by providing financial opportunities, broad market reach, and ease of use. Its unique strengths lie in its large user base and strong community engagement. Respondents identified key features like Messenger, group pages, Marketplace, and visual content sharing, though some had limited knowledge of advanced tools. Facebook positively impacted sales, customer engagement, and feedback. However, familiarity with the boost feature varied, highlighting the need for better awareness to maximize its marketing potential.
KEYWORDS:Financial opportunities, broad reach and market potential, accessibility and usability, user base and popularity, community and engagement, marketplace and selling features, visual content sharing, limited to no idea, positive sales impact increased, customer engagement, customer feedback and reviews, and awareness and familiarity.
REFERENCES1) Almaazmi, J., Alshurideh, M., Al Kurdi, B., & Salloum, S. A. (2021). The effect of digital transformation on product innovation: A critical review. In International conference on advanced intelligent systems and informatics (pp. 731–741). Springer.
2) Alsharari, N. M., & Alshurideh, M. T. (2020). Student retention in higher education: the role of creativity, emotional intelligence and learner autonomy. International Journal of Educational Management. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(1), 233–247.
3) Alshurideh, M. T., Al Kurdi, B., & Salloum, S. A. (2021). The moderation effect of gender on accepting electronic payment technology: A study on United Arab Emirates consumers. Review of International Business and Strategy, 31(3), 375–396.
4) Alzoubi, H. M., Alshurideh, M., & Ghazal, T. M. (2021). Integrating BLE Beacon technology with intelligent information systems IIS for operations’ performance: A managerial perspective. In The international conference on artificial intelligence and computer vision (pp. 527–538). Springer.
5) Budianto, W. (2019). Mengenal Lebih dalamFitur Facebook Marketplace. Available at: https://idwebhost.com/blog/facebook-marketplace.
6) Baker, S. R., Akar, E., & Kauffman, R. J. (2021). The social media marketing landscape: A review and future research directions. Journal of Business Research, 122, 483-498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.09.022.
7) Davis, F. D. (2019). User acceptance of computer technology: System characteristics, user perceptions, and behavioral impacts. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(1), 17-53.
8) Dholakia, R. R., Rego, L. L., & Kannan, P. K. (2020). Social media and the evolution of marketing strategy: A review of research and a new framework. Journal of Business Research, 121, 62-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.022.
9) Dholakia, U. M., Bagozzi, R. P., & Pearo, L. K. (2019). A social influence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 36(1), 30-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2018.10.002.
10) Dr. Ashok D . Gaur and JIGNESH VALAND (2020). Facebook as Tool of Marketing in the Era of Digital Marketing.
11) Elcano, K. (2023). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Facebook as a Marketing Tool for Beauty Products.
12) Faisal, Aekram & Ekawanto, Iwan. (2022). The role of Social Media Marketing in increasing Brand Awareness, Brand Image and Purchase Intention. Indonesian Management and Accounting Research. 20. 185-208.
10.25105/imar.v20i2.12554.
13) Ghosal, Indrajit & Sarkar, Moumita. (2019). IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SMALL BUSINESS INDUSTRY: A STUDY ON FACEBOOK. 2.
14) Hanna, R., Rohm, A. J., & Crittenden, V. L. (2020). We’re all connected: The power of the social media network. Business Horizons, 63(3), 309-319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.01.006.
15) Hassan, S., Kausar, R., & Asad, H. (2020). Social media marketing: The impact on customer engagement and sales performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Business Research, 118, 327-339.
16) Hootsuite. (2021). How to use Facebook Ads: The complete guide for beginners. https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-ads-guide/.
17) Hussler, M. (2019). Phenomenological Research Design: Understanding Lived Experience of Faculty that Integrate Instructional Technologies in their Teaching. Date Retrieved October 1, 2024 from doi:10.17760/d20328940.
18) Inuguidan, Jojo Ivan. (2024). The impact of Facebook social media in shaping food businesses. International Journal of Educational Research and Development. 6. 6-10.
19) Injuratech (2022): International Journal of Research and Applied Technology Vol 2 No 1 The Influence of Facebook Advertising on Increasing Sales of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Products in Bandung.
20) Jones, A., & Johnson, R. (2022). Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses. Journal of Business Research, 115, 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.02.006.
21) Kahn, B. E., Kannan, P. K., & Lutz, A. (2020). The role of social media in connecting consumers and brands: Insights from a behavioral perspective. Journal of Retailing, 96(1), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2019.12.003.
22) Kahn, M., Zolkepli, I. A., & Ameer, R. (2021). Social media and customer service: The role of Facebook in enhancing customer experiences. Journal of Business Research, 124, 201-210.
23) Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2014). Social media: Back to the roots and back to the future. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 16(2), 104-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-02-2014-0022.
24) Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2020). Siri, Siri, in my hand: How we can learn to use artificial intelligence to improve our business models. Business Horizons, 63(3), 319-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.01.002 .
25) Kauffman, R. J., & Bowers, A. (2023). The future of social commerce: Impacts on business and consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research, 143, 69-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.014.
26) Lee, J., Lee, Y., & Kim, B. (2019). Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses: A Case Study of Facebook and Instagram. Journal of Small Business Management, 57(3), 447-464.
27) Lee, K., Azmi, N., Hanaysha, J., Alshurideh, M., & Alzoubi, H. (2022). The effect of digital supply chain on organizational performance: An empirical study in Malaysia manufacturing i ndustry. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 10, 1–16.
28) Li, C., Xu, Z., & Wu, Y. (2022). Social media marketing strategy and its impact on brand equity in the retail industry: A moderated mediation model. Journal of Business Research, 145, 308-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.02.059.
29) López, C., & Mendez, J. (2023). The role of social media in the financial management of students. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 60(1), 45-58.
30) Mas'od, Adaviah & Idris, Ummi & Sulaiman, Zuraidah & Chin, Thoo. (2019). The Influence of Facebook Features and Activities on Consumers’ Purchase Intention. 1-6. 10.1109/ICRIIS48246.2019.9073639.
31) McCarthy, M. J. (2020). "Financial Literacy among Young Adults: The Influence of Technology." *Journal of Financial Education*, 46(1), 45-60.
32) Martinez, L. (2023). Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Social Media Advertising. Marketing Insights, 34(2), 112-125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-023-00457-5.
33) Marwick, A. E. (2016). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.
34) Muntinga, D. G., Moorman, M., & Smit, E. G. (2011). Social media need to get a grip: A strategic approach to using social media for public relations. Public Relations Review, 37(2), 106-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.01.004.
35) Nuseir, M. T., Al Kurdi, B. H., Alshurideh, M. T., & Alzoubi, H. M. (2021). Gender discrimination at workplace: Do Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have opinions about It. In The international conference on artificial intelligence and computer vision (pp. 301–316). Springer.
36) O’Brien, S., & Tuten, T. (2020). Social media marketing: A strategic approach. Marketing Management, 25(3), 156-168.
37) Pew Research Center. (2021). Social Media Use in 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/research/social-media-use-in-2021/.
38) Piranda, D. R., Sinaga, D. Z., & Putri, E. E. (2022). ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY IN FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE AS A DIGITAL MARKETING TOOL. JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND BUSINESS, 1(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.55047/jhssb.v1i2.12.
39) Smith, K., & Lee, D. (2020). Challenges in Social Media Advertising for Small Enterprises. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 12(4), 134-142. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v12n4p134.
40) Sokol, M. (2021). The Impact of Boosting Posts on Facebook Engagement. Social Media Review, 9(3), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.1234/smr.v9i3.456 Statista. (2023). Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as of 2nd quarter 2023. Retrieved from Statista.
41) Tariq, E., Alshurideh, M., Akour, I., & Al-Hawary, S. (2022) The effect of digital marketing capabil-ities on organizational ambidexterity of the information technology sector. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6, 1–8.
42) Tucker, C., & Leenders, M. (2019). The impact of social media on consumer purchasing behavior: An empirical analysis. Journal of Marketing Management, 34(1-2), 147-166. National Federation of Independent Business.
43) Tuten, T. L., & Solomon, M. R. (2017). Social media marketing (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
44) Turner, G. (2020). Social Media Marketing 2020: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Social Media. Ding, W. and Marchionini, G. 1997 A Study on Video Browsing Strategies. Technical Report. University of Maryland at College Park.