Myday Influencers: The Power of Organic Social Media Posts in Marketing Off The Beaten Path Destinations

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 41

MYDAY INFLUENCERS: THE POWER OF ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS IN

MARKETING OFF THE BEATEN PATH DESTINATIONS

Joyce Anne F. Abuacan

Cheenee Mae C. Batistil

James Cariaso

Jhoan Mae J. Esmenda

Lorraine Joy L. Rosario

January 2021
This research entitled “MYDAY INFLUENCERS: THE POWER OF ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA
POSTS IN MARKETING OFF THE BEATEN PATH DESTINATIONS” was prepared and
submitted by Joyce Anne F. Abuacan, Cheenee Mae C. Batistil, James Cariaso, Jhoan Mae J.
Esmenda, and Lorraine Joy L. Rosario. January 2021

ABSTRACT

The Covid-19 pandemic has crippled the tourism sector in levels incomparable to any other
industries that support the world economy. Restarting tourism in the “new normal” demands
careful planning. A recent study has shown that 70% of respondents from the Philippines stated
that they have purchased a product because it was endorsed by an influencer. Although social
media platforms have proven to be very effective channels in promoting destinations, one
bottleneck for this kind of approach still remains-the cost associated with it. Studies across all
digital markets have shown that the average cost to hire a social media influencer is P9,405.86
per 1,000 engagements. This study aims to answer this challenge by defining the level of
influence of unpaid social media posts created by ordinary people we dubbed as “Myday
Influencers”. These influencers are distinguishable from their paid counterparts because they
are not driven by any marketing intentions.

This experimental research used profile sets selected to represent the population of ordinary
social media users. The samples were chosen using random assignment then subjected to visit
a lesser known destination in a specified period of time with the purpose of sharing their
experience through a social media post. The impacts of the posts were measured based on
Average Engagement Rate (AER) and Average Conversion Rate (ACR). A comparative
analysis was employed to measure the cost efficiency of using organic influencers.

According to the results of the study, the profile set with the highest level of influencer impact is
a female who is in the age range of 31-35 years old, college graduate, married and employed.
Interestingly, contrary to common belief, this study’s results have concurred with recent market
researches that hail Instagram as the new leader in influencer marketing and images as the
most effective type of posts. Organic posts also yielded a significant monthly average savings
compared to the cost of paid contents. The research has also uncovered another aspect
regarding second level organic influencers that deserves a separate study.

Keywords: influencer marketing, organic social media post, destination marketing, digital
marketing
CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The Covid-19 Pandemic has created immense and long lasting impacts on

almost all the industries that support the world economy. Its unprecedented effects were

felt across all demographics of the society. No other global phenomenon has affected

the modern world like the current pandemic. As advances in the medical field became

the most pressing matter, it is undeniable that economic stability should also be a

priority in our scientific endeavors.

A recent market survey among the UNWTO’s Panel of Tourism Experts have

indicated that the Industry is expected to have a very long road to recovery, putting it at

an alarming rate of only 1% this 2021. Tourism as an industry is projected to be one of

the last sectors to recover. With this kind of insight from the global tourism market, the

Philippines could be one of the most hardly hit countries, considering that some of its

most vulnerable populations are dependent on tourism and its related industries.

Puerto Princesa City as a gateway to the country’s well-known tourism

destinations in the Province of Palawan is a perfect poster child of the current state of

tourism in the Philippines. The City has seen its rise to fame together with the rest of the

Province in recent years prior to the pandemic. The Province’s inclusion as the Best

Island in the World in a popular travel website boosted its tourism revenues to record
highs. As a host to a UNESCO World Heritage Site- The Underground River, the local

residents of the City have long been recipients of tourism’s multiplier effect and positive

economic returns. This in effect created a high level of dependence on tourism as

projected by the City at 26% of the working population ( Puerto Princesa City Tourism

Reopening and Recovery Plan, 2020).

While the rest of the world is suffering due to the adverse effects of the

pandemic, social media platforms have established their influence and relevance into

people’s lives as well as business processes more than ever before.The IT sector

recorded all-time high sales which easily puts it as one of the most valuable industries

during the pandemic. All of the other sectors have turned into digitalization in order to

cope up with the current market demands. “The pandemic is a reality check for

businesses that have been reluctant to embrace digital transformation and now find

themselves woefully unprepared”(https://www.bdo.com/insights/business-financial-

advisory/strategy,-technology-transformation/covid-19-is-accelerating-the-rise-of-the-

digital-e)

The tourism industry is highly dependent on marketing in order to produce

results. Destination marketing is a widely studied topic in this field as the traveler market

grows in number and preference over the years. With the sudden and long-standing

impacts of the pandemic on the Industry, destination marketing professionals see digital

marketing as a gleam of hope in the road to recovery.


While the prospect of marketing destinations using digital platforms offers a wide

array of strategies one can employ, influential marketing is highly favored due to its

proven effectiveness. A recent study on social media users have shown that a

significant number of purchase decisions made by consumers were done under the

influence of social media content creators. Proving a basic economic concept, this

demand created a steady increase in the cost of hiring social media influencers

averaging to P9,000 per 1,000 engagements in the Philippine setting.

In the case of Puerto Princesa City, the idea of opening a wide selection of

destinations, especially ones that are less known or off the beaten track, in order to

strategically disperse travelers and avoid attracting crowds would be a clever strategy

that has the potential to slowly power tourism back on its track.

Considering the value of social media influencers in achieving the goal of reviving

local tourism by promoting alternative destinations for travelers, this study was

conducted to define and measure the level of influence that Myday Influencers (organic

or unpaid) social media users have in marketing off the beaten path destinations in the

Puerto Princesa City.


Statement of the Problem

This study was conducted to measure the level of influence of organic social

media posts by Myday influencers in marketing off the beaten path destinations in

Puerto Princesa City during the month of January 2021.

Specifically, the study attempted to answer the following questions:

1. What is the most preferred platform of Myday influencers?

2. What is the most preferred type of post?

3. How influential are the different platforms when utilized by Myday influencers?

4. How influential are the different types of posts when utilized by Myday

Influencers?

5. How influential are the different kinds of Myday Influencers?

6. How significant is the difference between the levels of influence of Myday

Influencers and paid influencers?

7. How significance is the difference between the value of organic posts compared

to the cost of paid posts.


Assumptions and Hypotheses

Ho: There is no significant difference between the levels of influence of Myday

influencers and paid influencers.

Ho: There is no significant difference between the value of utilizing Myday Influencers

compared to the cost of hiring paid influencers.

Significance of the Study

1. Recent government-sanctioned events during the pandemic have received a

significant number of criticisms due to the fact that minimum health standards,

particularly social distancing were not observed due to the unmanageable crowd that it

attracted. This study aims to help the City Government of Puerto Princesa

specifically the City Tourism Office by providing knowledge and information on:

a. effectiveness of Myday Influencers to promote lesser known destinations in the

city;

b. cost efficient strategies to digitally market destinations through social media;

c. strategies that could help in policy-making, most especially in destination and

events management.

2. This study also aims to help the Community-Based Sustainable Tourism (CBST)

sites and the local community by:


a. showing relevant information about Myday Influencers that have the potential to

successfully market a local destination especially those that are off the beaten

track;

b. providing additional cost-efficient advertising and promotional strategies that are

accessible and can be easily used and managed by the local community.

3. For the general public and citizens of Puerto Princesa City, it will improve the

quality of visitor management in destinations and provide awareness to safe and

secured tourist spots.

4. For the digital marketing field and the growing number of businesses that need cost

efficient but effective digital marketing strategies, this will provide substantial information

about the influence of organic contents.

5. For the general fund of knowledge, this study can uncover the untapped powers of

Myday Influencers and their potential to shape the future of social media marketing.
Definition of Terms

For further understanding , the following terms are defined operationally:

Myday Influencers. This refers to social media users commonly known as

organic influencers. They post social media contents based on their experiences without

any marketing or sales intentions. These influencers do not receive any monetary

compensation for the marketing mileage that they can contribute to a destination.

Off the beaten path destinations. These are different kinds of destinations

around the city categorized by their relative distance from the city proper, the absence

of tourist facilities in the area, and the low no. of visitor count per month.

Social Media Marketing. This refers to the use of social media and social

networks to market a product or service.

Destination Marketing. This refers to any tourism advertising to promote a

certain location.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study aims to measure and define the influence of Myday Influencers in

marketing off the beaten path destinations in Puerto Princesa City.


The study covers the general population of social media users in the City

represented by 20 Myday influencers selected through ramdom assignment from 100

respondents.

The experiment was conducted in Puerto Princesa City. The Myday Influencers

were subjected to visit an off the beaten track destination in the City as chosen by the

researchers to represent a group of destinations categorized by the City Tourism Office

based on their common characteristics.

This study commenced from December 2020-January 2021, months suggested

by the City Tourism Office as peak season for local tourism.

Limitations of the Study

It should be noted that the researchers in this study conducted an experiment to

obtain data from organic influencers only. Data and other pertinent information with

regards to the paid influencers were obtained through available and up-to-date online

resources.

This study is also limited in its capacity to determine the quality of social media

posts made by the respondents as the researchers desired to obtain the most natural

reaction from the respondents. However, utmost effort was made so that respondents

will have similar experiences in the chosen destination.


It is also important to take note that digital marketing, especially social media

marketing is a very dynamic field of study. It encompasses consumer behavior and

economic conditions in a certain location and period of time. Even though this study can

make generalizations in the influence of a certain group to the general population, it is

not conclusive that this is true in some other parts of the Philippines or in a different

period of time.
CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In this chapter, the literature review will be built to narrow down the scope of

theory by collecting previous relevant researchers. It presents related literature and

studies that addresses the different ideas, concepts, generalization and conclusions that

will contribute to the knowledge of the studied subject which helps the reader to have a

better understanding of the study.

Related Literature and Studies

Literature and studies on marketing tourist destinations have been abundant in

recent years as different people have addressed this field from different perspectives.

Social media marketing in this period of pandemic has been a very useful tool to

promote certain destinations. As tourism goes digitalization, social media marketing

played a huge role in tourism as it began to spread and be one of the trends in today’s

generation. This section illuminates how knowledge expands within this field, composed

with discussions of facts highlighting different measurements of the study related to and

the current state of social media marketing of tourist destinations.


Effects of Covid-19 to Tourism

The outbreak of COVID-19, labeled as a black swan event, causes significant

damage globally due to its fatality. The pandemic has expanded across the world by

creating shocks in almost all the industries due to the restrictions, curfews, stay-home

and work-from-home policies, and quarantines. As a result of the health and economic

crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector got severely affected. The

UNWTO has estimated a loss of approximately 1.1 billion international tourist arrivals,

with a loss of US$ 910 to 1.1 trillion export revenues and 100-120 million jobs due to the

wider spread of the novel coronavirus. (S H T, Kumudumali, 2020) says that all

countries in the world discover the challenges in the tourism industry and the strategies

to overcome those challenges in the short- and long-term while minimizing the

economic shocks due to the pandemic. It was also stated that COVID-19 pandemic

definitely brings a negative impact on the tourism industry and the decline of supporting

sectors such as the air travel and hospitality industry in a global context.

Moreover, (Hall et al., 2020) states that crises can be a change trigger,

especially in the event of tourism. (Masco, 2017) mentioned that change can be

selective and/or optional for the tourism stakeholders (e.g. tourists, operators,

destination organisations, policy makers, local communities, employees), the nature and

degree of crises-led transformations depend on whether and how these stakeholders

are affected by, respond to, recover and reflect on crises. Tourists have experienced

themselves, through their loved ones and/or through the shared experiences of others

significant disruptions and health-risks in the travel and bookings plans. The tourists’

experiences and/or exposure to others’ experiences (that are also magnified through
the emotional contagion and information diffusion of the social media) can have a

significant impact on their travel attitudes, intentions and future behaviours. Psychiatric

research investigating the impact of traumatic experiences on people’s life, behaviours

and experiences of places and services can provide a useful theoretical lens for

understanding the travel behavior and attitudes of tourists that have been exposed to

their own or others’ COVID-19 travel trauma.

Another practice due to COVID-19 is social distancing which includes actions

such as, reducing social contact, avoiding crowded places, or minimizing travel. Social

distancing can significantly impact how people experience and evaluate leisure and

travel activities like hiking, outdoor activities and nature-based tourism or even personal

services like spas, dining, concierge services. Social distancing or better physical

distancing may influence tourists’ perceptions of health hazards, insecurity and

unpleasant tourism experiences.

Basically, the tourism sector is heavily a hedonic and sensorial experience.

Servicescape design plays a major role in tourism experience by influencing customers’

emotions, behaviors, attitudes and service evaluations. However, COVID-19 operating

standards require servicescapes to be redesigned eliminating or inhibiting sensorial

elements and ‘changing’ tourism experiences, e.g.: smell of cleanliness instead of

fragrance; social distancing and number of co-presence of clients in restaurants,

festivals and other tourism settings will influence new standards of psychological

comfort. COVID-19 resulted in numerous socio-cultural, economic and psychological

impacts on various tourism stakeholders, some of them for years to stay. Consequently,

the pandemic has created a ‘fertile’ new context whereby tourism researchers can
conduct research with valuable end-user benefits. According to (Marrianna Sigala,

2020), the COVID-19 impacts on tourism employment create further pressures on

tourism education that has severely affected the pandemic. Apart from the virtualization

of teaching and learning processes, tourism students and graduates have to also

address the halt of industry internships, recruitment and questionable career paths.

Tourism programs and universities are faced with reduced students’ intakes, industry

and government sponsorship and research funding.

Obviously, due to COVID-19 billions of people are suffering and at the same time

creates an economic collapse scenario. The country with the most COVID-19 infections

reported a record surge in unemployment. Therefore, this calculates the effect of

COVID-19 to the tourism industry for affected countries worldwide. (Nahirah Abu

Bakar, April 2020) noted that COVID-19 creates panic among the public that

contributes to lower demand in the tourism industry. This is one of the effects because

of disease spreading including the lockdown approach that is implemented in current

situations. This scenario contributes to lower demand by customers. Therefore,

according to market equilibrium of supply-demand theory, the price of the tourism sector

keeps decreasing in parallel with decrement in demand.

Contrariwise, World Travel and Tourism Council partnered with Oliver

Wynman, presented a report (To Recover and Beyond, 2020) showing the demand

evolution brought by COVID-19 in transforming traveller inclinations and behaviours

toward the familiar, predictable, trusted, and even low risk. Domestic and regional

vacations, extensive research and planning, and the outdoors will reign in the short-

term, with tourism businesses and destinations already adapting accordingly. Proactive
communication will be key to spur demand. Though the longevity of these shifts is still

unknown, the Travel & Tourism sector has a unique opportunity to rethink and refresh

prevailing business models, in partnership with local communities and with

consideration for its most valuable asset, its people.

Digital Marketing of Destinations

A model on Search Engine Marketing and display advertising applied to tourism

is proposed. According to (Sandra Raquel Castro, January 2017) that these are very

effective tools when it comes to attracting to the destination websites, and that are likely

to successfully explain the efficiency of the online promotion of a place. Therefore, it is

important for customization, which can be attained through the qualification of users and

through the collected data on their preferences, through social networks and feedback.

On the other hand, (Shankar, R Sabari. Hyderabad, 2018) tells that destination

branding has become a widely researched concept as governments and businesses are

looking at repositioning their destination images. All branches of destination branding

are investigated not only to brand or rebrand places but also to boost local economies.

The influence of destination personality on destination image has also been looked into

the attributes.

However, destinations across the world heavily compete with each other, in order

to maintain their attractiveness and competitiveness in the global tourist industry. In

order to do so, it is necessary for destination authorities to be able to address the

different needs of different market segments, as well as promote the image and manage

destinations in a way that attracts tourists. In other words, they need to effectively
implement Destination Marketing, (Buhalis & Michopoulou, 2011) define the term

referring to promoting tourist destinations as a means of improving their imagery and

popularity. According to Koutoulas & Zoyganeli (2007), Destination Marketing takes

place at two levels. At the micro-level, independent tourist operators, such as hotels and

transportation agencies, which promote the products and services they offer in the

industry and, At the macro-level, governments and other official authorities promote

their countries and states as tourist destinations.

Therefore, (Loda et al., 2010) states that tourism marketing through the internet

is valued higher than print advertising. Recently studies have concentrated on the fact

that many tourists go via search engines to find travel information and examined click

through rates (Pan, 2015) and since long blogs have been a way of gathering travel

information and being inspired through. Nowadays, different social media platforms are

also a source for travel information and inspiration (Munar and Jacobsen, 2013).

Marketing of Off the Beaten Path Destinations

In the recent years, substantial changes in the manner of sightseeing in cities

have been becoming visible. (Lukasz Matoga, Araneta Pawlowska, August 2016)

implies that tourists are leaving the old city centers and are deciding to visit places that

are not typical tourist attractions. In such places, alternative forms of city tourism

described as off-the-beaten-track tourism are developing. This process necessitates

appropriate management of tourism in the city in accordance with the rules of


sustainable development and protection of cultural and historical authenticity of places

and buildings.

The report made by (WTTC & Oliver Wyman, 2020) identifies the trends

reshaping the Travel & Tourism sector in the wake of COVID-19 and outlines with the

data gathered that in order to avoid crowds, travelers will increasingly seek out “off-the-

beaten-path” nature and outdoor destinations. In fact, nearly 40% of US travelers stated

that COVID-19 has made them rethink the types of destinations they will select, with

beach destinations (38.2%) and small towns/rural areas (30%) topping the list. Coupled

with the shift to lesser-known destinations, will be a renewed interest in authentic and

immersive experiences, driving demand for niche markets, such as community-based

travel and cycling holidays. Luis Araujo, CEO of Turismo de Portugal concurred, noting

“those who choose to travel will value the authenticity of the country even more”.

According to Geoffrey Kent, Founder and Co-Chairman of Abercrombie & Kent, the

definition of luxury will change, it will not be so much about “huge bottles of champagne

and silk sheets, but rather about adventure tourism.

Social Media Marketing and Influencer Marketing

Social media marketing is a new marketing strategy which almost every business

is adopting to reach their consumers on the virtual networks. If you have an idea and

you want it to reach millions, at a very little cost, then social media is the only way-out.

Entertainment companies were the first to adopt social media as a promotional tool.

Weinberg (2009) has defined social media marketing as the process that empowers
individuals to promote their websites, products, or services through online social

channels and tap into a much larger community that may not have been available via

traditional channels. So if we keep it simple, social media marketing is the process

where organizations use social media websites to build a rush on their company's

official websites. It does not stop here but organizations also inform the potential

customers of happenings in the organization, launch of the new model or product and

latest news about the organization through social media applications.

In addition, (Jan & Khan, 2014) define social media as an innovative tool that

organizations use for creating a very strong public relation with the customers on the

virtual networks. Maintaining public relations through social media has become easy

because a large number of potential consumers are available on the virtual networks.

And making connections with consumers using social media is only some clicks away.

Today’s customers are more powerful and busy; therefore, companies should be

reachable and available in every social media communication channel such as

Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, at any time. Exploiting the opportunities provided by the social

media communication channels is important for every organization.

Furthermore, (AntonSon and Christopher, 2014) explains that social media is

an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relations with

other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or

real-life connections. Billions of people around the world use social media to share

information and make a connection. Nowadays social media is becoming an integral

part of life online as social websites and applications proliferate.


Therefore, using social media marketing instruments for promoting the tourism industry

is obviously increasing. Social media marketing is the way for companies to get close to

consumers. According to the international Tourist Research Centers 88% of

representatives of tourism business are actively using social media and 70% of

consumers’ trust of recommendation given by social networks. Social media marketing

can also be helpful in understanding the attitudes of customers. (Georgia, 2015)

Other benefits of social media marketing, (Benxiang Zeng', 2014) says that it

plays a significant role in many aspects of tourism, especially in information search and

decision-making behaviours, tourism promotion and in focusing on best practices for

interacting with consumers. Leveraging off social media to market tourism products has

proven to be an excellent strategy.

When it comes to paid collaborations between brands and SMIs are commonly

realized in the form of sponsored content (De Veirman et al., 2017). That is, the

influencer creates and publishes a product recommendation post in social media, and in

return, receives compensation from the sponsoring brand. YouTube’s ad policies

(YouTube support, 2018) also state, “creators and brands are responsible for

understanding and fully complying with legal obligations to disclose Paid Promotion in

their content”.

However, recent marketing trends indicate the rise of influencers as an extension

of word-of-mouth campaigns. As consumers turn to social media platforms,

organizations are realizing the power of influencers in affecting a purchase decision.

The current study throws light on various aspects of influencer marketing that drive
consumer behavior by using the theory of planned behavior and social learning theory

that identify key factors of influencer marketing that impact consumer behavior.

(Francisco Feminia-Serra, 2020) mentioned that product influencer fitment was an

important criterion for consumers, as they followed the specific type of influencers for

different product categories. Depending on the posts shared by influencers, consumers

are impacted at four levels: increase in brand awareness, subject matter expertise,

brand preference, and preference. Successful influencer marketing involves identifying

the right type of influencer who will offer curated advice, stories, and suggestions to

create engagement with the audience. Influencer marketing has impacted all industries,

including travel and tourism. Many Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) are

lever- aging the influence of online personalities for diverse purposes, including

attracting visitors to their destinations.

Organic and Paid Social Media Marketing

Research from Crowdtap revealed 64% of 3,000 people surveyed use social

media to find inspiration for shopping (up 51% vs. prior year) This is driven by retailers

targeting consumers with personalized offers and deals on social networks: Nearly half

(46%) of social media users are already using social platforms while thinking about

making a purchase. 40% of users are actively deciding what to buy based on what they

have seen on social media platforms, including reviews and recommendations, and this

is only set to grow. (James Gurd, October 2020)


In one of the writings of (Katherine Yarbrough, 2020) explained the difference

between organic and paid social media as; An organic social strategy forgoes a

monetary budget and instead relies on audience interaction and posts to engage with

followers. Any post on a social page with no financial boost is considered an organic

post and will only reach customers through the platform’s ever-changing and often

veiled algorithm. Interacting with other people’s posts, engaging in discussions on other

brand pages and within groups, or responding to posts on brand pages are also

considered organic, as there is no money backing the action.

While on the other hand, Paid social has become an essential component of

advertising on social media platforms. A campaign is considered “paid” when there is

money behind a post to promote it. This can be done by using funds to boost a specific

social post to generate further reach, or by designing and running optimized ads to

connect with a specific audience to generate leads, clicks or traffic. The main social

sites that accept paid social media are Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Each social platform requires its own unique strategy in order to reach followers and

garner interaction, and paid advertising is a large part of those strategies. In that same

vein, each business will have a different audience and voice that is needed to consider

when building out a paid social campaign.

Both organic and paid social media landscapes are constantly evolving. New

networks rise to prominence, new technology increases user participation and real-time

content and existing networks enhance their platform and product (e.g. Facebook,

Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram launching ‘buy’ buttons). Organic reach is also

shrinking as the leading networks ramp up their paid social media channels to monetize
platform investment. If the first era of social was engagement, the new era is acquisition

and conversion. Social commerce has been growing over the last few years, but in

today's climate that growth has rocketed. Many retailers today are seeing social driving

bigger % increases in retail traffic than any other channel.

Creating a solid social media strategy is not one-size-fits-all. There are many

components that come into play, including building the brand identity into the process.

Two important tactics involved in any social-driven advertising campaign are paid and

organic social advertising. Each requires different processes and criteria, and

implementing both tactics lead to extremely successful results.


Conceptual Framework

Based on the related literature and studies, the impact of a social media

influencer can be measured using the Average Engagement Rate (AER) and Average

Conversion Rate (ACR) of their contents. In order to arrive at a single figure that will

suggest the content’s influence, the researchers have decided that it will be composed

of 60% ACR and 40% AER as suggested by most digital marketing experts.

The illustration below shows the process on which the central concept of how influencer

marketing is defined in this study.

Figure 1. Paradigm for influencer marketing of off the beaten path destinations.
Justification of the Study

It should be noted that while there is an abundance of studies done to measure

the impact of social media influencers to their target audience, there is no available

study conducted to show the influence of organic influencers especially on destination

marketing. Thus, justifying the urgent need for this study to be conducted. In terms of

the value of this study in measuring the impact of influencer marketing, it created an

excellent replication for the case of Puerto Princesa City and its off the beaten path

destinations.
CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter explains various methods that were used in gathering and

analyzing data which are relevant to the study. The methodologies included areas such

as the research design, data collection, research instrument, sample population,

sampling procedure, research locale and statistical treatment. The theories which

underlie the methods were also included.

Research Design

The researchers used experimental research method that will measure the

influence level of organic social media posts by ordinary users in marketing off the

beaten path destinations in Puerto Princesa City. According to Formplus Blog,

experimental research designs are often considered to be the standard in research

designs. It is a scientific approach to research, where one or more independent

variables are manipulated and applied to one or more dependent variables to measure

their effect on the latter. In this research design, one or more subjects or dependent

variables are randomly assigned to different treatments (i.e. independent variables

manipulated by the researcher) and the results are observed to conclude.


Data Collection

Figure 2. Data Collection Procedure

The chart shows the methods in collecting the data that the researchers utilized

in this study. First, the researchers wrote questionnaires then underwent the process of

validation and administration of questionnaires. After that, the researchers used random

assignment in choosing the number of samples. However, in order to determine the

power of organic posts, the ordinary social media users, which are the respondents, are

subjected to visit Tinagong Falls located at Sitio Talaudyong, Barangay Bacungan,

Puerto Princesa City. Their posts in their social media accounts which contained videos

and images of Tinagong Falls were all collected and recorded. Gathered data were

computed and analyzed using statistical tools, employing 60% Average Conversion

Rate (ACR) and 40% Average Engagement Rate (AER) to determine their levels of

influence. And lastly, the researchers interpreted the results.


Research Instrument

The following are the research instruments that the researchers used in this
study:

Questionnaire - The researchers created a questionnaire to determine the

demographic profile of the respondents such as their age, gender, marital status,

employment status, and their educational background. Questions were made in a form

of checklist.

The respondents were encouraged to answer the following questions as honestly

as they can. However, the records of the survey were held with utmost confidentiality.

Mobile Phone - It was used to search and screen captured organic posts made

by the Myday Influencers in their personal social media accounts which are either in

Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Sample Population

The research study conducted involves 100 samples, which are all ordinary

social media users in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. However, the researchers

used random assignment wherein out of 100, 20 are assigned as a representative of the

sample population. Thus, all gathered data that this study needed came from the 20

respondents.
Sampling Procedure

The researchers used random assignment in determining the sample or

respondents in this research. According Salkind N. (2010), random assignment is the

process by which researchers select individuals from their total sample to participate in

a specific condition or group, such that each participant has a specifiable probability of

being assigned to each of the groups or conditions.

Research Locale

The picture below is the Tinagong Falls located at Sitio Talaudyong, Barangay

Bacungan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan where this experimental study was

conducted. It is in the far flung area of the City. It is a 4 kilometer or 2 hour trek from the

nearest paved road.

Figure 2. Research Locale


Statistical Treatment

Frequency Count and Percentage Distribution

The researchers employed a statistical technique in analyzing the data gathered

for the study. Frequency count and Percentage distribution were used to determine the

most preferred social platform of organic influencers and the most preferred type of

post. “A percentage frequency distribution is a display of data that specifies the

percentage of observations that exist for each data point or grouping of data points. It is

a particularly useful method of expressing the relative frequency of survey responses

and other data” (Lavrakas, 2008, p. 577).

P = F x 100/N
Where:
P – Percentage
F – Frequency
N – Total number of respondents

T-test
In order to measure the difference in the level of influence and cost between

organic post and paid post, T-test was utilized on the Jamovi software. According to Del

Siegle, the T-test is a type of inferential statistics. It is used to determine whether there

is a significant difference between the means of two groups.


CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA


This chapter is concerned with data presentation of the findings obtained through
the study . The sequence of the content is the same with that of the Statement of the
problem.

Table 1: Most preferred social media platform of organic influencers.


Social media platform Frequency Percentage
Facebook 18 90%
Instagram 1 5%
Youtube 1 5%
n=20 100%

It was determined that the most preferred social media platform of organic

influencers is Facebook since it has the highest frequency 18(90%) out of 20.

Table 2: Most preferred type of post.


Type of post Frequency Percentage
Image 16 80%
Video 2 10%
Image and video 2 10%
n=20 100%

Based on the result, most of the organic influencers preferred image as a type of

post with the frequency and percentage of 16 (80%) out of 20.


Graph 1.0: Shows the platform used by organic influencers.

The graph shows how influential each social media platform is. Instagram has

very high influence, facebook has high influence and youtube has low influence. Among

the three platforms instagram is the most influential, followed by facebook and youtube.
Graph 2.0 Shows the different type of posts

The graph shows how influential the different types of posts are. According to

the result image has very high influence, image and video has high influence whereas

video posts has only average influence. Among the different types of post image is the

most influential, followed by the combination of image and video and last in the video.
Table 2: Presentation of Level of Influence by Demographic Profile

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE LEVEL OF INFLUENCE

Age

16-20 2.87

21-25 6.40

26-30 4.34

31-35 9.46

36-40 6.57

Gender

Female 6.70

Male 5.20

Marital status

Single 4.25

Married 7.64

Employment status

Employed 9.42

Unemployed 2.49

Educational background

High school level 4.44

High school graduate 4.82


College level 4.33

College graduate level 9.63

Post graduate level 6.69

The profile set that displayed the highest level of influence is a 31-35 years old
female, married, college graduate, and employed.

Independent Samples T-Test

In order to assess the difference in the level of influence between male and

female of the respondents, Independent t-test was utilized. The results revealed no

significant difference (p=.933) in the level of influence of organic post (N=20,M=6.79,

SD=4.19) and paid post (N=20, M=6.69, SD=3.52) respondents with respect to their

level of influence. Hence, null hypothesis was accepted.

To determine the difference in the value of organic posts compared to the cost of

paid posts , Independent T-test was utilized. The results revealed no significant
difference (p=.519) in the value of organic post (N=20 ,M=1695, SD=1553) compared to

the cost of paid posts (N=20, M=1987, SD=1267) Hence, the null hypothesis was

supported.

To end with, the data have shown a total of 39 second level influencers.
CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

This study was conducted to determine the influence of Myday Influencers in

marketing off the beaten path destinations in Puerto Princesa City. An experimental

method of research was employed using random assignment of 20 ordinary social

media users subjected to visit an off the beaten path destination with the purpose of

sharing their experience through a social media post. The experiment was conducted

during the months of December 2020 until January 2021.

Out of the 20 Myday Influencers, 90% used Facebook as the platform and

images as the type of post to share their experience.

The study revealed that Instagram posts created the highest level of influence at

8.75 rated as Very High and images as the most influential type of posts that rated Very

High at 6.73.

The demographic profile that recorded the highest level of influence is a female

who is in the age range of 31-35 years old, college graduate, married and employed.
Conclusions

Based on the result and analysis of the data gathered, the following conclusions

were drawn:

1. This study ACCEPTS the assumption that there is no significant difference

between the levels of influence of Myday Influencers and paid influencers. Myday

Influencers recorded a level of influence comparable to their paid counterparts.

2. This study ACCEPTS the assumption that there is no significant difference

between the value of using Myday Influencers to the cost of hiring paid

influencers.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study, the researchers recommend the following:

1. For the City Government of Puerto Princesa and the City Tourism Office, to start

integrating influencer marketing in their tourism marketing plans for the different

destinations in Puerto Princesa City. When employing social media influencers,

strategically choosing Myday Influencers that fit the most influential profile should

be done. Moreover, in the marketing of off the beaten path destinations in the

city, the help of Myday Influencers should also be tapped as they have the
potential to influence local tourists to visit off the beaten path destinations, thus

helping the City on its visitor management program.

2. For the Community-Based Sustainable Tourism (CBST) sites, to start employing

the help of Myday Influencers in their marketing campaigns. Encouraging

ordinary visitors to post stories, in the form of images, in their personal social

media accounts can generate engagements and actual visitors.

CBST sites should also engage on measures to ensure a quality experience for all

the visitors as this study was able to uncover that Myday Influencers have the tendency

to influence other visitors to post their own experience-these are the 2nd level

influencers.
REFERENCES

Kumudumali, SHT.(2020). Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism Industry: A Review.


Retrieved from:https://mpra.ub.uni muenchen.de/102834/1/MPRA_paper_102834.pdf

Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and
resetting industry and research. Retrieved
from:://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7290228/#!po=0.520833

Abu Bakar, N. and Rosbi, S. (2020). Effect of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to


tourism industry. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340661997_Effect_of_Coronavirus_disease_
COVID-19_to_tourism_industry

Castro, S. et al. (2017). Does Digital Marketing really boost city tourism ? Evidences
from Porto ' s Experience. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322156205_Does_Digital_Marketing_really_b
oost_city_tourism_Evidences_from_Porto_'_s_Experience

Langkos, S. (2014).CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW: Destination Marketing


Framework. University of Derby. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270956512_CHAPTER_2_-
_LITERATURE_REVIEW_Destination_Marketing_Framework

Gurd, J. (2020). Understanding the role of organic vs paid social media strategy.
Retrieved from: https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-
strategy/understanding-role-organic-paid-social-media

Wyman, O. (2020). To Recovery & Beyond The Future of Travel & Tourism in the Wake
of Covid-19. Retrieved from: https://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-
wyman/v2/publications/2020/To_Recovery_and_Beyond-
The_Future_of_Travel_and_Tourism_in_the_Wake_of_COVID-
19.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2UZlmVtf3jkXlMIC0ARNEC7M5Fb4Y7SjRoV-
DQyrofTHroBK3NNQEsogU

Yarbrough, K. (2017). The difference between organic and paid social media. Retrieved
from: https://beloandcompany.com/the-difference-between-organic-social-and-paid-
social/?fbclid=IwAR3MNI_zkfHPIQaNaddG5Gs72R6GUfTeXJoRMczVgwz-BeSGG-
UyvfBSAjY

Wong, S. (2018). What’s a “Good” Social Engagement Rate? Retrieved from:


https://nvision.co/digital-marketing/good-social-engagement-
rate/?fbclid=IwAR3xEfqwdcqYC9_Oxnp74GdBbzNVzktySTEDGu-
NRGo2cly5Cv3de0aTOBQ

Sanchez, M. J.(2021).Impact of social media influencers on purchasing Philippines


2020. Retrieved from:https://www.statista.com/statistics/1202159/philippine-influencers-
impact-on-purchasing/

You might also like