Dessertation

Hello,

I hope you are well.

I am currently working on my dissertation, and I have completed the Introduction chapter. I would really appreciate it if you could review this section for me and help improve the clarity, structure, and academic language where needed.

Your feedback and suggestions would be very valuable, as I want to make sure this chapter is strong and well-written before I continue with the next sections of my dissertation.

Thank you very much for your time and support.

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Context

This research examines the impact of social media marketing on the purchase behaviour of elderly consumers (50+) in the UK massage therapy market. In recent years, social media marketing has become one of the most important communication tools used by businesses to influence consumer behaviour, shape perceptions, and build relationships with customers. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are now widely used not only for social interaction but also for searching for information, evaluating services, and making purchase decisions, particularly in service industries.

The massage therapy and wider wellness industry is undergoing a significant demographic transition, in which consumers aged 50 and above have become a major and increasingly important target market. According to the World Health Organisation (2022), ageing populations are showing growing interest in health, pain management, and wellbeing solutions. This trend has increased the demand for wellness services such as massage therapy, which is often used for stress reduction, pain relief and overall quality of life improvement. As a result, understanding how this age group makes purchasing decisions has become increasingly important for businesses operating in this sector.

Traditionally, older consumers have often been perceived as less engaged with digital technologies. However, recent research shows that people aged 50 and above are becoming more active users of the internet and social media platforms, although their usage patterns and motivations may differ from those of younger consumers (Nimrod, 2020; Quan-Haase et al., 2018). Older consumers tend to use social media more selectively and intentionally, mainly for communication and information seeking rather than entertainment. This shift challenges outdated stereotypes and suggests that social media may play a meaningful role in shaping their service-related decisions.

In the context of massage therapy, marketing communication is particularly important due to the intangible nature of the service and the high level of trust required from consumers. Unlike physical products, massage therapy cannot be evaluated before purchase, which means that consumers often rely on signals such as professional credibility, reviews, testimonials, and recommendations. Social media platforms provide a space where such trust signals can be communicated through educational content, user experiences, and visible professional presence. Therefore, social media marketing has the potential to influence how older consumers perceive massage therapy providers and how they decide whether or not to book a service.

1.2 Research Problem

Although social media marketing is widely used across many industries, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how elderly consumers (50+) engage with social media when making purchasing decisions related to health and wellness services. Much of the existing research in digital marketing focuses primarily on younger consumers, who are often assumed to be more digitally active and more easily influenced by online content. Consequently, the digital behaviour of older consumers in the wellness sector has not been adequately explored.

This gap is particularly evident in the massage therapy industry. While trust, service quality, and professional credibility are known to play a crucial role in influencing consumer decisions in this sector, it remains unclear how effectively social media communicates these elements to older consumers. Furthermore, older consumers are often more cautious in their decision-making, especially when it comes to health-related services, and may rely more heavily on traditional communication methods such as word-of-mouth recommendations and direct conversations with professionals.

As highlighted in the research proposal, there is limited empirical evidence on which social media platforms are most used by this age group, what types of content they find most persuasive, and how social media marketing compares with traditional communication methods in influencing their behaviour. In addition, factors such as trust, perceived credibility, and digital literacy may play a mediating role in shaping how older consumers interact with massage therapy businesses online. Therefore, the central research problem addressed in this dissertation is the lack of a detailed understanding of how social media marketing influences the purchase decisions of consumers aged 50 and above in the UK massage therapy industry.

1.3 Rationale and Significance of the Study

This research is necessary for several important reasons. From a business perspective, consumers aged 50 and above represent a significant and growing market segment with considerable spending power and increasing interest in health and wellness services (Moschis, 2012). Despite this, marketing strategies have often failed to fully consider their social media habits and preferences, which means this group may not be engaged as effectively as possible by wellness and massage therapy businesses.

From an industry perspective, most existing research on social media marketing continues to prioritise younger audiences due to their high levels of digital engagement. As a result, the specific characteristics of older consumers digital behaviour in the wellness sector remain under-researched. This gap is even more pronounced in the massage therapy industry, where issues such as service intangibility, trust, and perceived risk have a strong influence on purchasing decisions. Understanding how social media contributes to building trust and credibility in this context is therefore particularly important.

From an academic perspective, this study contributes to the literature on social media marketing, consumer behaviour, and digital technology adoption by focusing on an under-researched demographic group within a specific service industry. It also builds on existing theoretical frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model, the Consumer Decision Journey, Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and SERVQUAL, by applying them to the context of elderly consumers and massage therapy services.

From a practical perspective, the findings of this study are expected to provide evidence-based and actionable recommendations for massage therapy and wellness businesses in the UK. These recommendations may help practitioners improve their social media communication strategies, enhance customer engagement, and build trust and long-term relationships with older consumers in a more ethical and effective way.

1.4 Research Aim and Objectives

Research Aim

This study aims to examine how social media marketing affects the purchase decisions of consumers aged 50 and above in the UK massage therapy industry.

Research Objectives

• To identify the social media platforms on which elderly consumers (50+) are most active when searching for massage therapy services.
• To understand what types of social media content have the strongest effect on their purchase intentions.
• To analyse the influence of social media marketing on consumer behaviour compared with traditional communication methods such as word-of-mouth and in-person recommendations.
• To investigate how trust, perceived credibility, and digital literacy affect elderly consumers engagement with massage therapy businesses online.
• To develop practical recommendations for massage therapy businesses that aim to target elderly consumers through social media.

1.5 Research Questions

• What social media platforms are most frequently used by elderly consumers (50+) in the UK when searching for massage therapy services?
• What types of social media content have the strongest influence on their purchasing decisions?
• In what ways does social media marketing differ from traditional communication methods, such as word-of-mouth, in influencing consumer behaviour?
• How do trust, perceived credibility, and digital literacy shape elderly consumers engagement and purchase decisions?
• What strategies can massage therapy businesses use to attract and retain the 50+ consumer group through social media?

1.6 Structure of the Dissertation

This dissertation is organised into six chapters. Chapter One introduces the background to the study, defines the research problem, explains the rationale and significance of the research, and presents the research aim, objectives and questions. Chapter Two provides a critical review of the relevant literature and develops the theoretical and conceptual framework for the study. Chapter Three outlines the research methodology, including the research philosophy, design, data collection methods, sampling strategy, and ethical considerations. Chapter Four presents the findings of the study, while Chapter Five discusses these findings in relation to existing literature and theoretical frameworks. Finally, Chapter Six concludes the dissertation by summarising the key findings, discussing the limitations of the study, and providing recommendations for practice and future research.