Introduction + Methodology
Research Goal
Our team’s goal was to work with the scope of determining how to maintain a consistent customer base through social media marketing. In order to tackle this challenge, we researched a broad body of information in relevance to social media and marketing. Terms we used to conduct the research included: social media marketing, young adult social media platforms, social media content creation, benefits of social media, social media interaction, restaurant incentivization, loyalty programs, etc.
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Division of the Research Process
To facilitate the research process, we divided the research into topics, and each topic was researched by a different team member.
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Adebola researched Social Media content and the benefits of planning ahead.
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Christina researched the Value of Planning and Creativity in Food Content Marketing.
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Crysta researched Using the Power of Social Media to Market to Young Adults.
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Katy researched Opportunities for Restaurants to Target Demographics that are Active on Social Media to Increase Business on Weeknights Through Events
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Mack researched Using Social Media to Showcase Your Food Photography.
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Nicole researched Social Media and Retail.
Through individual research, a twenty-one source annotated bibliography, local study, and team meetings, we discussed our personal findings and we were able to better understand the scope of the project. And we determined that the most fertile options for the Fishers Test Kitchen would be these recommendations. We solely split and focused on these three recommendations.
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The Effectiveness of Social Media for Marketing to Young Adults (Millenials/ Gen-Z)
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The Importance of Planning and Strategizing for Social Media
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Translate the Demographic Information Into Physical Bodies in the Test
However, we still wanted to know the choices of consumers and did not want to base it on common sense. Over the course of our research, our team relied primarily on two methods for obtaining pertinent and useful information: a) Online research, b) Local Study
Online Research: Google Scholar and IUPUI Databases
During our online research, we searched using google to get a background on our topic and find general information that could be used to further our research. We also used Google Scholar and IUPUI academic databases: ProQuest Direct, which provides access to over 120,000 sources. Some of the search words/phrases were:
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Social media
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Marketing
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Restaurants
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Food
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Advertising
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Gen z and millennials
After we met with our client, we were able to narrow down our research so that we could finish off our research strong with all of the information we felt we needed. Our search phrases then narrowed down and became more specific.
Once we finished our online research and felt knowledgeable on our topic, we felt comfortable to then make our survey and send it out to get a local study to further understand our audience and how to help our clients with their challenges.
Local Study Ten Question Survey
In order to gather the best information on our scope, our team created a survey on Google Forms. We designed a 10-question survey aimed at a) finding ways to promote a small business b) finding potential methods and strategies for maintaining a consumer base. The respondents involved in this survey were mostly college students and those working in Indianapolis. Each member of the research team was responsible for distributing these surveys.
The survey questions were set up in a multiple-choice format. In order to disseminate our survey, we distributed the survey by putting it up on Facebook, Whatsapp, and sending it through messages. This distribution reached approximately 571 readers, we received a total of 167 responses. The majority of people surveyed were young adults which is our target demographic. The respondents had the opportunity to respond to what social media platform they use the most (Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Facebook) The platforms were chosen according to the top three most preferred social media platforms. This selection was done in this manner in order to avoid personal bias and to ensure relevance to our research.
A copy of the questionnaire is contained in Appendix A. Each question included in the survey was chosen to know consumers’ preferences and to analyze the ideas derived from the research. The results gathered from this survey proved essential for providing useful recommendations for the Fishers Test Kitchen.