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The author uses a combination of primary and secondary data to address the aforementioned study issues Following data gathering, the data might be subjected to additional analysis using thematic analysis to provide insightful interpretation and reach a comprehensive conclusion.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
The first thing to know is that primary data is described as "the original data source obtained personally by the researcher for a specific research aim or project" (Salkind, 2010).
In order to understand their working process and style and to have a clear picture of the issue, the researcher might particularly observe every member of the company's marketing team To gain in-depth knowledge of the company's marketing initiatives, there would also be areas for one-on-one interviews with 4 members of the marketing team and 2 team leaders.
As opposed to primary data, secondary data refers to the knowledge and information gathered by previous researchers and academics (e.g., books, papers, research) (Caulfield, 2021) This study can substantially benefit from the data and knowledge found in academic and scientific papers, periodicals, journals, etc.
Firstly, Facebook Insights statistics on the money allotted for paid advertising and the actual performance of the Facebook fan page (number of reaches, engagement rate, interactions, etc.) might be gathered for assessment in order to acquire secondary data.
Secondly, a reliable source of information and knowledge will also be acquired via online books, research papers, academic and scientific publications, and magazines on well-known academic websites.
By analyzing the audio transcripts from the interview sections with 06 Joymark Travel's Marketing personnel, including 04 low-level and 02 highly experienced marketing personnel, the author may be able to better analyze the qualitative primary data that has been gathered by utilizing the thematic analysis technique created by Braun and Clarke (2019).
The six basic stages of thematic analysis include familiarization, coding, topic generation, theme review, theme definition and naming, and writing up.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
Familiarization This step comprises being totally acquainted with the data by reviewing transcriptions from the individual interview portions of 6 Joymark Travel's marketing personnel.
This stage entails creating clear labels for the information produced from the transcriptions that can be useful in resolving the research topic Labels such as "uncertainty," "acknowledgingwow the circumstance," "frequent use of social media marketing," etc. are some examples.
Generating To identify wider patterns for additional analysis, this phase themes involves looking over the labels and data Misinformation includes, among other things, "incorrect facts" and
"misunderstanding of social media marketing strategy."
Reviewing In order to choose which topic best addresses the study questions, themes the author compares each theme created in the preceding stage.
The following techniques might be used: splitting, combining or discarding.
Defining and | The author creates a thorough analysis of each theme in this stage naming themes in order to discuss it in depth For example, if the theme is
"misinformation," the author will respond to questions such as
"What information is being misinterpreted?" and "Why is it being misinterpreted?" and revise the material resulting from the data analysis process into text.
Table 1: Stages of Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019)
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
VI Structure of the research
The study is divided into the following headings:
Introduction: This part provides a general overview of the study's background, rationale, area, research questions, methodology, and structure.
Chapter 1: Introduction of Joymark Vietnam Travel And Trading Company Limited This part describes its history, essential values, products, and organizational structure.
Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework This part discusses the theoretical foundations of the thesis, along with the findings of earlier studies on social media marketing strategy.
Chapter 3: Analysis and findings This part provides the context, the research methodology as well as the data collection, and the analysis method.
Chapter 4: Recommendations This part offers a number of practicable solutions that the business should utilize to enhance the existing status of its social media marketing plan.
Conclusion This part summarizes the key points of the study, emphasizes its limits, and makes recommendations for additional research in the area.
The thesis also includes headings for Acknowledgement, which express the author's appreciation to outside human resources who helped him create this document;Executive Summary, which condenses the key concerns, findings, and author's recommendations; References that list the books and articles that have been cited; andAppendix with the participants' and author's interview questions.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION OF JOYMARK VIETNAM TRAVEL AND
This chapter will go through specifics regarding Joymark Travel firm, including its history, essential values, products, and organizational structure The chapter may focus on the working location where the author does the internship in order to assure the accuracy of the information.
Joymark Vietnam Travel And Trading Company Limited has made major advancements in the planning of domestic and international package vacations throughout the course of its eight-year existence In accordance with Hanoi's Department of Planning and Investment's Decision No 0106800373, Joymark Vietnam Travel And Trading Company Limited were established on September 12, 2014, with a variety of responsibilities including consulting, organizing, and designing package trips for the domestic and international markets.
In essence, Table 1.1 following may provide some background data about Joymark Vietnam Travel and Trading Co Ltd (Company Limited), henceforth referred to as Joymark Travel:
Company English | Joymark Vietnam Travel And Trading Company Limited
Company Cong ty TNHH Du lich va Thuong mai Joymark Vietnam
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
Type of company Company Limited
Chief Officer | Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu
1.1.2 Joymark Travel’s Mission, Vision, and Statements
As regards Missions, Joymark Travel strives to provide a perfect environment in which employees may maximize their capabilities and make efficient their areas of competence Furthermore, the company consistently puts its customers’ happiness and pleasure first by offering a choice of excursions that can satisfy even the most demanding requirements Additionally, Joymark Travel helps the neighborhood by giving people employment opportunities and helping them market their goods to travelers A further goal is to generate profits for the company's owners, board of directors, and individuals who have contributed significantly to the enterprise.
In respect of Vision, Joymark Travel always works to construct a supplier value chain and aspires to be among the top travel agencies in Vietnam and around Asia, creating fundamental values that benefit different groups of people The company is adamant about giving customers the best experience possible across the board Joymark Travel is devoted to carrying out the terms of the contract between the client and the company with a rigorous focus on service quality.
Joymark Travel places a strong emphasis on its Statements, which include Responsible, Reliable, and Enjoyable The “Responsible” statement mentions the responsibility of Joymark Travel’s employees In order to provide uniformity in the operation process, Joymark Travel has designed a standard employee in accordance with the company's cultural values from hiring through training and employment They are
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C equipped to meet every client's need since they are flexible, knowledgeable, and dynamic. They firmly think that their expertise and feeling of responsibility will lead to prosperous business relationships and priceless vacation experiences while using Joymark Travel’s services Meanwhile, the “Reliable” statement refers to its strong reputation as a highly trustworthy purveyor of travel arrangements in Asia Joymark Travel’s reputation is built on its committed products and sincere, considerate, and ethical treatment of our customers The fact that its clients, primarily travel firms, continue to cooperate with it and enthusiastically refer to it speaks volumes about the high standards we uphold in travel arrangements.
1.1.3 Joymark Travel’s Services and Products
Domestic Tours in Joymark Travel currently extend from North to South, allowing it to satisfy a variety of consumer expectations In order to provide tourists with unique vacations and activities, Joymark Travel consistently painstakingly explores and investigates popular sites in Vietnam The company offers all services for clients who are enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, or even individuals under the motto of "Responsible, Reliable, Enjoyable".
Joymark Travel offers a range of trip arrangements on all five continents, which are Asia, Europe, America, and Africa, at affordable costs to meet the demands of those who want to make the journey to various regions of the world Customers’ requests will be taken into account while creating each tour to these locations, guaranteeing that their pleasure may be maximized.
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS c2 seseesese 28 3.1 Joymark Travel’s Current Social Media Marketing Strategy Situation
Insignificant Role S5 << << sọ ng 30 3.1.2, Rare Opportunities 186686 ố.ố.ốỐốỐốỐốỐố Ắ.Ắ
The participants agreed on the vast and varied goals of Joymark Travel's social media marketing plan, which social media may aid Joymark Travel in achieving if used intelligently During the interview, Interviewee B mentioned that social media is a trustworthy and varied source for obtaining backlinks to support the search engine optimization (SEO) strategy for the company website In order to encourage readers to click on the link leading to Joymark Travel's website, we attach the website's URLs in Facebook posts with appropriate captions.
The remaining marketing team members, except the two team leaders, were fully aware of the advantages social media may offer because of its vast user base Interviewee
C was ecstatic about how social media had increased the company's visibility:
"In addition to just putting information on fan pages, we could also adopt a highly effective strategy to spread awareness among Facebook users who had never heard of our website, which was seeding Depending on the subject, I would do in-depth research to determine which demographics would best help us achieve our objectives of enhancing the audience's perception of the company.”
Her justification is completely consistent with earlier brand community research. Sharing the content of Joymark Travel with various groups would be a tactical way to increase its recognition among potential buyers because members of one virtual community have comparable interests and preferences towards a brand, product, or service (Albert et al., 2008).
Despite agreeing that social media was advantageous and helpful to the company's operations, all participants said that social media did not play a crucial or necessary function and merely served as a supplementary source to support the website. One of Joymark Travel's two marketing team leads, Interviewee A stated:
“We consider social media only as an integral component of the company's overall business strategy This is because establishing the content, design, and other elements of the website first makes more sense given that our company's primary source of income is from the publication of advertisements on our website ”
The marketing staff at Joymark Travel spent very little time and effort creating an effective and practical social media marketing plan due to its inessential nature.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
Instead, the company's social media strategy was incredibly standard and without any specific goals Interviewee A shared:
"Our social media marketing plan is really straightforward and simple to implement Prior to launching a new fanpage, careful consideration of its goals and target audience must be made Next, in order to deliver meaningful and valuable material to the audience, we carefully listen and take note of their interests The fan page will prosper as long as the information is hip and trendy.”
To summarize, this is thought to be one of the fundamental causes of Joymark Travel's ineffective and inefficient social media marketing strategy Little thought was given to the process of fully establishing this type of strategy because the participants just saw it as an extra component.
Social media was viewed as a subpar component of the business’ operations by the leaders of Joymark Travel's marketing team and its highly skilled marketing staff.
On the other hand, less experienced marketing professionals at lower levels did not voice their thoughts with conviction regarding improvements to the social media marketing strategy During the conversation, Interviewee E expressed her annoyance to the author:
“T am aware of how limited my skills are as a beginner to Joymark Travel In addition, the marketing team leaders typically hold their own meetings to plan the campaign beforehand before explaining what needs to be done, which makes me cautious and embarrassed of sharing my ideas and comments.”’
Interviewee D and Interviewee F shared a similar worry as Interviewee F admitted that he had few opportunities to contribute to the social media marketing strategy while Interviewee C revealed:
“Tt already takes some time to finish the duties that the team leaders assigned. After that, I don't think I'll be in the right frame of mind or be as motivated to share what
1 believe is helpful for the strategy!”
In conclusion, from the perspective of low-level marketing workers, it may be inferred that they are not given the chance to voice their suggestions, which may not be implementable but would provide them some lessons for subsequent duties in return.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
Joymark Travel’s Social Media Marketing Strategy Performance
The performance of Joymark Travel's social media marketing strategy implementation, which is the response to the second research question, will be the subject of the author's following theme There are two important supporting subthemes for this theme: Lack of attention and Unimpressive Performance.
The marketing team leaders at Joymark Travel frequently ignore the social media data in favor of monitoring the website traffic once each campaign is over Interviewee
“T don't really keep up with social media results that much because the data just slightly fluctuate, Interviewee A said The most important thing is web traffic, thus we [the marketing team leaders] strongly advise everyone else to monitor it constantly, especially during ongoing campaigns.”
It is logical that Joymark Travel does not highlight social media analytics because the marketing team considers that platform as an additional and complementary component in the overall strategy for the website In spite of the fact that Facebook plays a big role in driving traffic to the website by urging users to click the connected link, Joymark Travel appears to be skeptical of the advantages and potentials that social media may have.
The author was given access to certain insightful facts derived from previously launched campaigns in order to provide more in-depth information about earlier initiatives launched by Joymark Travel The two campaign goals of Increasing Facebook Engagement and Increasing Web Traffic are used to group the four examples that follow.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
From: 15th April} From: 15th August
Total Costs [TC = (1) + (2)] 2.198.044 VND 2.143.740 VND
Cost per Like [CPL = (1)/(4)] 1761 VND 1354 VND
Table 3.2 Statistics of Joymark Travel’s Previous Two Campaigns to Increase
The data from the two campaigns share some minor variances, as shown in the table above However, by examining the statistical Conversion Rate, it can be said that campaign B is more effective than campaign A Campaign B's CR is specifically 1.6%, 0,4% higher than campaign A's Additionally, Joymark Travel paid 2.143.740 VND for campaign B, which is considerably less than the 2.198.044VND total cost of campaign
A, to achieve a 1.6% CR Therefore, Table 3.2 demonstrates that Joymark Travel is getting more efficient (in terms of spending) and effective (in performance).
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
From: 15th February| From: 15th June
2022 2022 To: 15th March 2022 | To: 15th July 2022
Promotion Service from Third Parties | 320.000 VND 295.000 VND
Table 3.3 Statistics of Joymark Travel’s Previous Two Campaigns to Boost Traffic
The statistics in Table 3.3 display a more significant variety than those in Table 3.2 By examining CR and TC, it has been shown that campaign D performed better than campaign C did, with a higher CR (3.7% versus 2.3%) and significantly lower TC (2.469.552 VND to 2.898.655 VND) Due to the high spending CPC and as shown in the table above, Joymark Travel's decision to conduct advertising campaigns to increase traffic for a maximum of two months was logical.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
Moreover, with an average CR of 1.4 percent, and almost half as much as 3%,respectively, campaigns to increase Facebook engagement had significantly lower CRs than those to increase website traffic As a result of their limited performance, JoymarkTravel's marketing team prefers to launch initiatives that aim to increase website traffic rather than increase Facebook engagement.
Reasons for the Underperformance of Joymark Travel’s Social Media
The following theme, "Reasons for the Underperformance of Joymark Travel's Social Media Marketing Strategy," is the focus of the author's discussion in this section. The third major theme, which response to the third research question, generalizes the responses obtained from the many interview sessions into three important sub-themes, which stand for the three reasons why Joymark Travel's social media marketing strategy underperformed These are, in detail, Insignificant Role, Inconsistency, and Lack of Involvement.
Two leaders of the marketing teams at Joymark Travel responded that they had low expectations for social media to contribute to the success of the firm when asked about the causes of the underperformance and effectiveness of the firm's social media marketing strategy According to Interviewee A, she did not really have much hope for social media to benefit the functioning of the company from the start As a result, there is a minimal investment in and work put into creating an appropriate and competent strategy.
However, Interviewee B acknowledged that the ill-conceived social media strategy could be problematic, saying that "In some instances, due to the amateurish technique, Joymark Travel Facebook fanpage has experienced several unanticipated challenges such as banning ads."
In short, as a result of Joymark Travel's perspective of social media as an additional aspect, the marketing team showed little interest in developing the strategy, which led to a number of unforeseen concerns that the business had to deal with right away.
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
The content is a key element of Joymark Travel's social media marketing strategy. Everyone who took part in the discussion agreed that the delivery of the material and its nature is what makes a campaign successful The success or failure of the fanpage will rely on how quickly we produce each piece of information, said Interviewee D, who placed great focus on the quality of the content.
Nonetheless, because trendy topics are rarely available on a regular basis, Facebook fanpage content becomes inconsistent and infrequent For example, a post about a trending subject could garner a lot of interaction and engagement for the fanpage at that time; however, if the fanpage waits impassively for another popular subject to write about, the quantity of audience attention attracted to that post will decline.
Furthermore, inconsistent writing styles degrade the content's quality According to the transcript of Interviewee A's interview, the business does not provide training for its content marketing team members on the language, tone of voice, format, etc when writing the caption:
"We don't provide any training sessions [for the content marketing team] and decide to let them write in their own language."
Although several participants voiced concern about the lack of training, this method does add a sense of originality and creativity Interviewee D informed the writer that:
“When I have the freedom to write however I want, it initially feels comfortable. But as time goes on, I start to worry about this lack of direction, especially when I have vague ideas for stories.”
Interviewee D also expressed her dissatisfaction with Joymark Travel's lack of explicit guidelines and requirements for content writing:
“Every fanpage post has its unique format, which occasionally makes me quite dissatisfied and somewhat ashamed Also, some of our content are too extensive, some include too many emoticons This, in my opinion, would make us appear unprofessional to Facebook readers.”
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C
It is possible to conclude that the marketing team at Joymark Travel has encountered a number of unanticipated issues as a result of inconsistent writing and content Because of this, consistency is a problem that the marketing department must address quickly to avoid similar errors in the following campaigns.
The author observes through the interview sessions that only low-level employees have an absence of participation concerns This is due to the fact that only senior marketing employees is permitted to attend Joymark Travel's meetings for planning the social media marketing strategy As a result, entry-level or inexperienced marketing staff members are generally discouraged Interviewee F, the youngest employee at Joymark Travel, expressed her dissatisfaction to the author:
"Because everything is planned in advance, not following the strategy may give a terrible impression [towards higher level personnel] "
However, when questioned about the low-level marketing employees’ lack of participation, two marketing leaders gave their logical perspectives, as Interviewee B noted:
"It would not be appropriate to allow newbies to participate in the company meetings because each meeting will include highly classified information and statistics of Joymark Trave In addition, I only anticipate them finishing and perfecting the duties given to them given their current expertise.”
This problem appears to have its roots in a miscommunication between low-level and high-level marketing employees at Joymark Travel, where one has a problem with participation but is too reluctant to speak up and the other one has a reason, confidential information, but does not communicate it with the department “Employee morale and motivation to work successfully may decline as a result of this miscommunication”, which can eventually harm the business's brand (Krause, 2019).
3.4 Actionable Solutions to Resolve Joymark Travel’s Social Media Marketing Strategy Problems
The author identifies two outstanding sub-themes, Training Sessions and Professional Social Media Marketing Strategy, that together represent two actionable solutions for the final theme, which addresses the fourth research question regarding
Nguyen Duy Hoang Son- 11194560- Business English 61C recommendations to address issues relating to Joymark Travel's social media marketing strategy.
When the author asked the participants about solutions to the ongoing issues with Joymark Travel's social media marketing strategy, they all agreed that training sessions should begin immediately In fact, throughout the interview, senior marketing staff members stated a desire to help lower-level employees by imparting their knowledge and experience in marketing, particularly during the planning and idea-generating phases. Though it is unlikely that the number of tasks assigned will decrease, Interviewee B emphasized that: