Bachelor’s Thesis
Social media marketing in
B2B:
Can customer engagement help increase brand
awareness? A Qualitative Study
Authors: Asem Al Daghstani,
Husam Mousa,
Mohammad Rastegari
Supervisor: Dr. Tomas Nilsson
Examiner: Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu
Term: VT19
Subject: Degree Project on ISM program
Course code: 2FE22E
Date: 31-05-2019
, Acknowledgments
Writing this thesis has been an unforgettable and challenging experience that the
authors will always be proud of. Writing this thesis would not be possible without the
knowledge acquired from all courses over the past 3 years. More specifically, this
would not be possible without the teachers of this program.
The authors of this thesis are forever grateful for the teachings and guidance which
they received from all teachers and staff of LNU and CIL.
The authors would like to express special gratitude to Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu who
provided continuous guidance and advice, with a genuine concern for his students. The
authors would also like to express special thanks to Dr. Tomas Nilsson who was there
from the beginning and helped all his students to grow and provided them with
guidance and advice.
The authors would also like to thank all family members and friends who provided
support and advice to the authors. Especially Azadeh Yasani who always provided the
help and support that the authors needed.
1(86)
, Abstract
As social media platforms are increasingly becoming more popular and a part of
everyday life, Business-to-Business (B2B) marketers from different industries are
realizing social media’s potential for achieving marketing purposes. However,
scientific literature regarding social media usage in B2B contexts is still filled with
gaps in knowledge; especially when compared to literature about social media usage
in Business-to-Customer (B2C) contexts. One of these research gaps is the lack of
niched information about each effect of using social media. This paper aims at
contributing to filling this research gap by presenting an extensive literature review
about social media marketing in B2B; followed by an analysis of empirical data
gathered from 11 different cases of B2B companies engaged in social media
marketing. Moreover, this is to answer the research questions; how are B2B companies
using social media to increase brand awareness? Which types of content inspire the
most customer engagement? And how can B2B companies amplify their chances of
succeeding in increasing brand awareness through social media? This paper will
further contribute to this research topic, by identifying further research gaps and
present suggestions for future research.
Keywords
Brand Awareness; Business Communication; Business-to-Business (B2B); Customer
Engagement; Social Media; Social Media Marketing.
2(86)
, Table of Contents
1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 6
1.1 Background .......................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Problem Discussion .............................................................................................. 7
1.3 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 8
1.4 Delimitations ........................................................................................................ 8
1.5 Outline of the Thesis ............................................................................................. 8
2 Literature Review..................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Business Communication .................................................................................... 10
2.2 Why Social Media Marketing? ............................................................................ 11
2.3 Opportunities and Benefits of Social Media Marketing in B2B ............................ 13
2.4 Brand Awareness ................................................................................................ 14
2.4.1 Increasing Brand Awareness through Social Media ..................................... 14
2.5 Customer Engagement (Marketing) .................................................................... 15
3 Research Questions/Hypotheses and Operationalisation ........................................ 17
3.1 Research Questions/Hypotheses .......................................................................... 17
3.2 Conceptualisation and Operationalisation .......................................................... 17
3.2.1 Conceptualisation........................................................................................ 17
3.2.2 Operationalisation ....................................................................................... 18
4 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 21
4.1 Research purpose ............................................................................................... 21
4.2 Research approach ............................................................................................. 21
4.3 Data collection method ....................................................................................... 22
4.3.1 Telephone interviews .................................................................................. 23
4.3.2 Interviewing process ................................................................................... 23
4.4 Sample selection ................................................................................................. 24
4.5 Data analysis...................................................................................................... 25
4.6 Quality criteria ................................................................................................... 25
4.6.1 Credibility................................................................................................... 25
4.6.2 Transferability ............................................................................................ 26
4.6.3 Dependability ............................................................................................. 26
4.6.4 Confirmability ............................................................................................ 26
4.7 Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................... 27
4.7.1 Harm to Participants.................................................................................... 27
4.7.2 Lack of Informed Consent ........................................................................... 27
4.7.3 Invasion of Privacy ..................................................................................... 27
4.7.4 Deception ................................................................................................... 27
4.8 Individual Contributions ..................................................................................... 28
4.8.1 Asem Al Daghstani ..................................................................................... 28
4.8.2 Husam Mousa ............................................................................................. 28
4.8.3 Mohammad Rastegari ................................................................................. 28
5 Empirical data .......................................................................................................... 30
5.1 Companies Perspectives ..................................................................................... 30
5.1.1 Social Media Platforms and Targeted Audience .......................................... 30
3(86)
Social media marketing in
B2B:
Can customer engagement help increase brand
awareness? A Qualitative Study
Authors: Asem Al Daghstani,
Husam Mousa,
Mohammad Rastegari
Supervisor: Dr. Tomas Nilsson
Examiner: Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu
Term: VT19
Subject: Degree Project on ISM program
Course code: 2FE22E
Date: 31-05-2019
, Acknowledgments
Writing this thesis has been an unforgettable and challenging experience that the
authors will always be proud of. Writing this thesis would not be possible without the
knowledge acquired from all courses over the past 3 years. More specifically, this
would not be possible without the teachers of this program.
The authors of this thesis are forever grateful for the teachings and guidance which
they received from all teachers and staff of LNU and CIL.
The authors would like to express special gratitude to Dr. Richard Afriyie Owusu who
provided continuous guidance and advice, with a genuine concern for his students. The
authors would also like to express special thanks to Dr. Tomas Nilsson who was there
from the beginning and helped all his students to grow and provided them with
guidance and advice.
The authors would also like to thank all family members and friends who provided
support and advice to the authors. Especially Azadeh Yasani who always provided the
help and support that the authors needed.
1(86)
, Abstract
As social media platforms are increasingly becoming more popular and a part of
everyday life, Business-to-Business (B2B) marketers from different industries are
realizing social media’s potential for achieving marketing purposes. However,
scientific literature regarding social media usage in B2B contexts is still filled with
gaps in knowledge; especially when compared to literature about social media usage
in Business-to-Customer (B2C) contexts. One of these research gaps is the lack of
niched information about each effect of using social media. This paper aims at
contributing to filling this research gap by presenting an extensive literature review
about social media marketing in B2B; followed by an analysis of empirical data
gathered from 11 different cases of B2B companies engaged in social media
marketing. Moreover, this is to answer the research questions; how are B2B companies
using social media to increase brand awareness? Which types of content inspire the
most customer engagement? And how can B2B companies amplify their chances of
succeeding in increasing brand awareness through social media? This paper will
further contribute to this research topic, by identifying further research gaps and
present suggestions for future research.
Keywords
Brand Awareness; Business Communication; Business-to-Business (B2B); Customer
Engagement; Social Media; Social Media Marketing.
2(86)
, Table of Contents
1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 6
1.1 Background .......................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Problem Discussion .............................................................................................. 7
1.3 Purpose ................................................................................................................ 8
1.4 Delimitations ........................................................................................................ 8
1.5 Outline of the Thesis ............................................................................................. 8
2 Literature Review..................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Business Communication .................................................................................... 10
2.2 Why Social Media Marketing? ............................................................................ 11
2.3 Opportunities and Benefits of Social Media Marketing in B2B ............................ 13
2.4 Brand Awareness ................................................................................................ 14
2.4.1 Increasing Brand Awareness through Social Media ..................................... 14
2.5 Customer Engagement (Marketing) .................................................................... 15
3 Research Questions/Hypotheses and Operationalisation ........................................ 17
3.1 Research Questions/Hypotheses .......................................................................... 17
3.2 Conceptualisation and Operationalisation .......................................................... 17
3.2.1 Conceptualisation........................................................................................ 17
3.2.2 Operationalisation ....................................................................................... 18
4 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 21
4.1 Research purpose ............................................................................................... 21
4.2 Research approach ............................................................................................. 21
4.3 Data collection method ....................................................................................... 22
4.3.1 Telephone interviews .................................................................................. 23
4.3.2 Interviewing process ................................................................................... 23
4.4 Sample selection ................................................................................................. 24
4.5 Data analysis...................................................................................................... 25
4.6 Quality criteria ................................................................................................... 25
4.6.1 Credibility................................................................................................... 25
4.6.2 Transferability ............................................................................................ 26
4.6.3 Dependability ............................................................................................. 26
4.6.4 Confirmability ............................................................................................ 26
4.7 Ethical Considerations ....................................................................................... 27
4.7.1 Harm to Participants.................................................................................... 27
4.7.2 Lack of Informed Consent ........................................................................... 27
4.7.3 Invasion of Privacy ..................................................................................... 27
4.7.4 Deception ................................................................................................... 27
4.8 Individual Contributions ..................................................................................... 28
4.8.1 Asem Al Daghstani ..................................................................................... 28
4.8.2 Husam Mousa ............................................................................................. 28
4.8.3 Mohammad Rastegari ................................................................................. 28
5 Empirical data .......................................................................................................... 30
5.1 Companies Perspectives ..................................................................................... 30
5.1.1 Social Media Platforms and Targeted Audience .......................................... 30
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