From Engagement to Retention: An Exploratory Sequential Approach to Social CRM and Social Media Marketing for Facebook Sellers

This exploratory research delves into the marketing strategies that Facebook online sellers employ, stressing their importance in increasing sales, engaging customers, and building customer loyalty. A mixed-method exploratory sequential design in varying sequences included qualitative interviews with sellers in Metro Manila followed by structured surveys to allow for a more sweeping quantitative understanding. Content and factor analyses indicated two realms of effective strategies: CRM Engagement and Social Media Marketing. This study adds to the theoretical understanding of Social CRM by linking social media marketing to this concept through the purpose of coherent branding and improved customer experience. It represents practical findings as simultaneous use of CRM and digital marketing tools for targeted engagement and business performance. Although findings express a specificity to geography and the platform itself, this work creates insight for online sellers, micro-entrepreneurs, and research. Importantly, this study closes the gaps emanating from the available literature by making credible recommendations for online sellers to revise their strategies. Future studies could explore the multi-platform marketing strategy, put in place more objective metrics, and study additional external elements like trends of various products across the market. This work adds meaningful value to e-commerce practice, particularly for Facebook online sellers, and lays the groundwork for further development of customer-oriented and engagement-driven strategies within an ever-changing digital environment.