Providing a Growth Framework for Startups with Social Media Marketing Support

Subject Areas : Business Management

golsum akbari arbatan ¹ , Mohammad Bashokuoh Ajirlu ^{2 *}

1 - Ph.D. candidate , Department of Business Administration, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran
2 - Professor, Department of Business Administration, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

Received: 2024-06-11 Accepted : 2024-11-09 Published : 2025-09-23

Keywords: growth driver, dynamic elements, startups, social media marketing,

Abstract :

The contemporary market positions social media marketing as a powerful mediator between effective digital engagement, data interpretation opportunities, and startup growth. Hence, the present research aims to provide a dynamic model for startup growth supported by social media marketing in a descriptive-applied manner. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, the researchers developed and validated a conceptual framework with the data-based method. The statistical population includes experts and managers of startups, digital technology specialists, and social media marketers, among whom 13 people were selected and participated in this study through purposeful sampling. The number of samples follows the rule of saturation. To analyze the data, the open, closed and selective coding method was used. The findings of the research show that concepts were identified in the form of a central category, 13 main categories, 32 sub-categories and 137 concepts or open codes. The causal conditions including social media marketing identity drivers, survival and sustainability drivers, and online interaction drivers, background conditions encompassing comprehensive identification of the effects of media outreach on startups, and social media marketing implementation, intervening conditions. Consisting of technological uncertainty, low financing campaigns and lack of powerful media marketing strategy, strategies consisting of promotion of positioning, and connective tissue, and consequences including network co-creation, value chain promotion and startup development were all categorized. Startups use social media in the modern business environment to reach customers and stakeholders to innovate and compete in the dynamic business environment.

Key Words

growth driver, dynamic elements, startups, social media marketing

 

 

1. Introduction

With the support of digital technology and online platforms, social media has created a great revolution in the way information is transmitted and the way people communicate. In particular, the increasing popularity of social media has influenced entrepreneurial behavior. In fact, the use of social media marketing has significantly changed the way companies communicate with their customers. Consumers who use digital resources in the purchasing process usually rely on the use of social media. Therefore, this research aims to identify the growth categories of startups with the support of social media marketing and to determine the causal, contextual, and intervening relationships, strategies and consequences based on the paradigm model.

2. Literature Review

Startups have been affected by the emergence of social media networks which give them the opportunity to create networks with. Therefore, startups use social media to communicate, transforming their business operations. Mujahid and Mubarak (2021) argued that the dynamic business environment affects start-ups in the early stages of operations. Social media platforms provide features that can be used to share ideas in the marketplace and find possible solutions to problems (Fernandez-Miguels et al., 2020, p. 3). Casalo et al. (2020) state that social media helps entrepreneurs interact with customers at a lower cost and higher efficiency. Therefore, social networks help to communicate with the masses through sharing information and building trust through instant feedback (Amoa et al., 2020: 390).

3. Methodology

This research adopts a mixed qualitative approach, focusing on textual data rather than numerical data, which is examined in general systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The statistical population includes experts and managers of startups and digital technology specialists and social media marketers, among whom 13 people participated in this study. The number of the sample followed the rule of saturation. To select the sample, the purposeful sampling method and chain reference type (snowball) were used. In this research, the data were documented by recording and taking notes at the same time as the interviews were being conducted. Of course, by implementing the content of the interviews in the form of a text file, the analysis and coding of the data was done. The findings of this research were analyzed through Maxqda 10 software. In order to provide a framework for the growth of startups with the support of social media marketing based on the analysis of selected articles, the data theory approach of the Strauss and Corbin Foundation was used. In this approach, the sub-categories are linked to a central category in a series of relationships, and the relationships between them with the main category are defined under a model called the paradigm model, which is an expression of causal conditions, background and intervening conditions, strategies and the consequences. In this research, to ensure the validity of the instrument, the participant control method was used, and to ensure the reliability, the retest and the intrasubject agreement method were used.

4. Results

To analyze the data, open, closed and selective coding was used. After analyzing and reviewing the interviews, the findings revealed concepts in the form of a central category, 13 main categories, 32 sub-categories and 137 concepts or open codes. The causal conditions include: identification drivers of social media marketing, survival and sustainability drivers, and online interaction drivers that either directly affect social media marketing in the growth of startups or create and develop the phenomenon in a way. Background conditions encompass comprehensive identification of the effects of media outreach on startups, and the implementation of social media marketing without which the realization of social media marketing for the growth of startups is not possible; These conditions provide the basis for special conditions, in which strategies to manage, control and respond to the phenomenon occurs. The intervening conditions consist of technological uncertainty, low funding campaigns and lack of strong media marketing strategy which tend to facilitate or limit action/reciprocal action in a specific context. Each of these conditions form a spectrum whose impact varies from very far to very close. The strategies include improving positioning, and connective tissue, a set of measures that are taken to manage, administer or respond to the phenomenon under investigation, and the consequences encompass network co-creation, value chain improvement and startup development, the same outputs or results of actions and reactions. The relationships between the categories are presented based on the paradigm model after evaluation and verification by the research participants.

5. Discussion

Social media marketing can be identified as one of the fastest growing and most influential aspects of doing business, reinventing new forms and levels of engagement. It is a well-documented fact that social media is, to a large extend, responsible for increasing business performance. Businesses, including startups, use social media in the modern business environments to reach customers and stakeholders and to innovate and compete in a dynamic business environment. Social media marketing offers startups a practical and strategic solution that covers many challenging growth components. When used in a startup environment, social media marketing strategies enable dynamic, iterative actions that enhance growth.

6. Conclusion

This review is designed to present the possibilities of using social media marketing for startups in a holistic perspective, linking startup challenges and dynamic elements of social media marketing strategies to how, at full capacity, all social media can influence startup growth. Given the complexity of such work, this framework only outlines the potential for overall broad impact. Considering the proposed research model and the identified categories, it is necessary for managers to pay special attention to social media for the growth of startups with the support of social media marketing in order to improve productivity, maintain competitive advantage, achieve goals and continue their survival and success.

Conflict of interests: none

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