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Research Report
Topic: The perception and behavior of the
Facebook fan page members in Vietnam
Abstract
This research is about the perception and behaviors of the Facebook fan page
members in Vietnam. This studys outcome will identify the audiences perception
and reactions towards the Facebook fan page. In the literature reviews, it
identifies the advantage of a fan page; the audiences acceptance of a Facebook
fan page including the factors of effects on audiences acceptance and making
decision process; and the response of audiences toward the Facebook fan page.
This study applied quantitative research contributed by 100 RMIT university
students in Sai Gon South campus. They are from 18 to 24 and the active
Facebook users. After collecting data, it showed that they wanted to become fan
pages members because of the incentives (sale promotion, the consistent
needs, attitudes and behaviors). They will like/comment/share when the fan page
provides interesting posts. Finally, members will buy product if the fan page
owners persuade them successfully.
Introduction
Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish
a social mission to make the world more open and connected
Mark Zuckerberg
In 2013, the number of Vietnamese Facebook users has growth steadily about
12 million (Do 2013). The Vietnamese young adults aged 15 - 24 vote Facebook
as the third of the top ten social networks visited mostly (Cimigo 2011). People
use Facebook because of the need to belong and present oneself to others
(Nadkarni et al 2012). Businesses, which build communities and expand their
Fans stories, are most prosperous on Facebook (Rohrs 2014). Moreover,
various step. Firstly, audiences had awareness about the particular fan page.
Additionally, perceptual association such as interests, values and personality
impacted the awareness stage of the process (Bruyn et al 2008). The process
cannot be accomplished if audiences rejected the fan page. Similarly, audiences
consistent interests, attitudes, time and location were the most important effects
on making a decision (Merisavo et al 2007). In other words, the acceptance of
the fan page was depended on uses and gratifications (U&G) (Burton 2010).
Finally, they decided to access to the fan page or not after receiving the
advertising information (Bruyn et al 2008). The acceptance and reject was a
significant behavior result that impacted the success of fan page (Chu et al
2011). As a result, understanding this decision making process leaded firms to
generate the successful fan page. Advertisers also need to encourage members
to interact a fan page.
The response of audiences toward the Facebook fan page
Berger et al (2012) stated that emotions, behaviors and intentions were as the
response of audiences. To elaborate, based on emotional connection, the fan
page members would decide whether sharing its content or not. Eckler et al
(2011) claimed that audiences attentions and reactions could be driven by
emotionality of advertisings content. They were willing to like, comment and
share statuses if it created the emotion of surprise and interesting and connected
to their beliefs (Dobele et al 2007). For instance, 83% of members clicked like
and share to the humorous content about family and children (Ha 2014).
Furthermore, over 60% of members would stop following the fan page if it
included the meaningless and spam information. Also, they did not want to read
or be tagged to unconnected, negative statuses and game links (Ha 2014). Thus,
the owner needed to reduce the negative perception of spam and meaningless
aspect of fan pages contents, so it could ignite the member to interact.
Additionally, 48% of Facebook users followed the fan page because of sales
promotion, consistent opinions and releases (Palmer et al 2009). However, the
members rarely decided to buy the products via its fan pages (Ramsaran et al
2013). Therefore, the marketing platform must communicate with their fan pages
members to extend positive word-of-mouth and collect comments from them to
know their demands (Acar et al 2007).
Research gap
After researching of above literature reviews, most of researchers did not aim at
the specific group of audiences (Bruyn et al 2008, Abedniya et al 2010, Burto
2010). Thus, it was the general theoretical framework for the general Facebook
users. Moreover, this topic had lack of researches in Vietnam (Dao et al 2012
and Ha 2014). Therefore, my research question is What are the perception and
behaviors of Facebook fan page members in Vietnam?
Methodology
Gender
44%
56%
Male
(1)
Female
(2)
Mean: 1.6, Mode: female, Median: 2 and Standard Deviation (SD): 0.5
Age
0%
6%
18
(1)
32%
25%
19
(2)
20
(3)
21
(4)
37%
Above 21(5)
Major
1%
3%
3%
1%
Bachelor
of
Communication
(1)
7%
24%
Bachelor
of
IT(5)
Bachelor
of
Fashion
(6)
26%
5%
12%
72%
Mean: 3.4, Mode: more than 1 year, Median: 4 and SD: 1.1
The first finding aimed to know the Vietnamese situation of Facebook fan page
and the period time members visiting it mostly. Most of people were members of
a fan page over 1 year (72%), while only 5% of them were for 3-6 months. 11%
were for under 3 months and 12% were for 6-12 months.
40%
0-6
(1)
6-12
(2)
14%
9%
12-18
(3)
18-23
(4)
10
34%
37%
12%
17%
Mean: 2.5, Mode: all of the above, Median: 2 and SD: 1.3
The second finding is about the perception of audiences. The majority of
participants selected all of the above with 37%, the percentage of people
choosing the consistent interests and attitudes was about 34%. 17% selected
the favorite brand and 12% chose friends are members of that page. By age,
nobody aged 19 chose the friends are member of that fan page option. Only 2
people aged 20 and 3 people aged 21 chose this option. Meanwhile, 7 people
aged above 21 selected it.
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47%
17%
7%
Mean: 2.8, Mode: all of the above, Median: 3 and SD: 1.3
The third finding is about the behaviors of the fan page member. The majority of
people (47%) chose all of the above, 28% of them interacted the posts relating
to the topic they cared, 17% chose the funny and interesting video and only 7%
selected the promotion. However, 1 person skipped this question. By gender,
the number of males and females choosing the topic they care were same with
14 people. 10 males and 7 females selected the funny and interesting video
option. 2 men and 5 women chose the promotion, and 18 males and 29
females supposed all of the above.
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44%
Yes (1)
53%
No
(2)
Skipped
(3)
35
30
24
25
20
20
19
15
10
5
0
Yes
No
Male
Female
Figure 1: The difference between male and female.
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Finally, it showed that 53% of participants would buy the product via a fan page,
44% of them did not buy, but 3 people skipped this question. Comparing between
males and females, the number of women answered yes more than this
number of men about 14 people.
Discussion
The first finding is the new thing I found that most of Facebook users are the fan
pages member over a year. Meanwhile, no local researcher had investigated it
before. It shows that Vietnamese young Facebook users have cognition about
what a fan page is. In a literature review, Merrigan et al (2009) stated that
audiences time was the one of most favorite influences to intentions. Parker
(2010) suggested that running ads in the particular time period in a fan page, it
helped businesses engage more to their members. Therefore, posting ads on a
fan page between 18 and 23 or 0 6 oclock gains the quantity of members and
supports the relationship between firms and customers.
Similar to my literatures, the second finding reports that young audiences
become members of a fan page because the consistent interests, attitudes and
favorites. U&G theory denoted that customers accept a fan page that satisfies
their needs of information, personal interests, entertainment and useful message
(Burton 2010). It explains why they want to be a fan pages members.
Additionally, 48% of Facebook users follow the fan page because of sales
promotion, consistent opinions and releases (Palmer et al 2009). Collective
innovation decision, which is a type of the innovation decision, is a choice
made by general opinion among the members of a group (Rogers 2012).
Additionally, my survey outcome shows that besides personal interests and
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useful messages, the friends are members of that fan page option is one of the
reasons they accept a fan page. Therefore, 37% of the participants selected the
all of the above option.
Similar to the U&G theory, Ha (2014) and Palmer et al (2009) in literature
reviews, the Facebook users are attracted by a humorous, interesting content
and promotion announcement in a fan page. My survey result proves that
members are willing to interact fan page messages including these incentives.
Thus, a fan page provides motivations such as a funny, interesting and useful
content and promotion, it gains the favorable reaction from members, so it is a
reason the all of the above option was chosen mostly.
In contrast, the members rarely think about purchasing the product or using
services via its fan pages (Ramsaran et al 2013). My finding result shows that
54% of participants make purchasing decision when they like and engage in the
fan page posts of products. To elaborate, Lavidge et al (1961) created stair-step
model of communication effects, including six steps (awareness, knowledge,
liking, preference, conviction and purchase) grouped into three categories (the
cognitive, the affective and the conative). To make members purchase the
products, the fan page advertisers have to achieve the full six steps. Thus, 54%
of participants decide to buy the product the fan page post because they are
convinced by an advertisement in the fan page.
Moreover, the number of women buying the product more than this number of
men about 14 people is the new thing I found. Although many researchers stated
the males were willing to shopping online rather than females (Teo 2001,
Korgaonkar et al 2002), it is contradicted in Vietnamese context. Regarding to
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the types of products bought online, men were happy to buy electrical devices,
computer and videos online, while women were more likely to buy cosmetic,
accessorizes, cloth and health aids (Sebastianelli et al 2008). Additionally,
women were more likely to apply word-of-mouth rather than men. For instance,
when she buys something via a fan page, she will ignite her girlfriends to buy.
Moreover, females psychology is more impulsive than male. Also, females are
oriented to look for sale promotions to buy rather than males (Sebastianelli et al
2008). Thus, those reasons may lead women to make purchasing decision via a
fan page more than men in Vietnam.
Due to the limitation of word count and time, two questions about their reaction to
a fan page is not enough to understand fully various aspects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have capability to answer my research question. Most young
Vietnamese users of Facebook are fan pages members over a year. They follow
a fan page because it satisfies their interests, beliefs and needs. The external
factor like their friends are that fan pages members also impacts to their
acceptance. Furthermore, they are willing to like/comment/share the posts that
relevant their needs, sale promotions and create the emotion of funny and
interesting. Finally, they also make purchasing decision if the fan page owners
persuade them successfully.
I also provide some suggestions to create the attractive fan page. Firstly, the fan
page owners should update posts in the period time when many members are
online Facebook, so it will attract many audiences. To increase the number of
members, advertisers need to post the relevant and interesting statuses to
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encourage members to share it to their friends. Finally, following the stair step
model of communication effects helps businesses convince their members to buy
the products via its fan page.
This research still has the limitation. Quantitative research is that it only provide
general look about the issue. For the future research, I recommend to use
qualitative research and quantitative research to collect the various aspects of
audiences reactions and enhance audiences perceptions toward a Facebook
fan page.
Word count: 2500
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Reference
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Appendix:
Plain Language Statement
Invitation to Participate in a
Research Project
Project Information Statement
Centre of Communication and Design
Project Title: The perception and behavior of the Facebook fan page members
in Vietnam
Investigator: Duong Nu Hoang Anh
Phone/Email: s3461752@rmit.edu.vn
Supervisor: Duong Trong Hue
Phone/Email: hue.duong@rmit.edu.vn
You are invited to participate in a research project being conducted by RMIT
University Vietnam undergraduate students undertaking the course
Communication Debates and Approaches. This information sheet describes the
project in straightforward language, or plain English. Please read this sheet
carefully and be confident that you understand its contents before deciding
whether to participate. If you have any questions about the project, please ask
one of the investigators.
What is the project about? What are the questions being addressed?
This project will identify the audiences perception and reactions towards the
Facebook fan page. The result of research will respond the questions What are the
perception and behaviors of the Facebook fan page members in Vietnam?
Why have you been approached?
100 RMIT university students in Sai Gon South campus will be invited to
contribute the research. They are from 18 to above 21 years old, the active
Facebook users and the particular fan page members.
If I agree to participate, what will I be required to do?
This survey will take you about 3 minutes to complete. The type of questions is
multiple choices. Some example questions in this survey:
How long have you been a member of a Facebook fan page?
Why do you want to be a member of a fan page?
What type of posts from the fan page admin that will encourage you to response
with like/comment/share?
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