| Course | MKT-4410 Marketing with Digital and Social Media |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Module 1 written assignment: the social media mix |
| Length | About 426 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.B.A. in Marketing |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 4410 Module 1
Four Platforms, Four Jobs: Choosing the Social Media Mix for a Bicycle Shop
Student Name
B.S.B.A. in Marketing, Thomas Edison State University
MKT-4410: Marketing with Digital and Social Media
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Four Platforms, Four Jobs: Choosing the Social Media Mix for a Bicycle Shop
The Business and Its Problem
Two Rivers Cycle is a composite independent bike shop with four employees. Its owner posts photos of new bikes on several platforms when he has time. Followers are few, and he cannot tell whether posts bring anyone into the shop.
Social Media in the Promotion Mix
Mangold and Faulds (2009) described social media as a hybrid element of the promotion mix: companies use it to talk to customers, as in traditional promotion, but customers also use it to talk to one another about the company, which the company cannot control. For a bike shop, the second function may matter more. Riders trust other riders' recommendations, so the goal is to give customers reasons to talk about the shop.
Functional Building Blocks
Kietzmann et al. (2011) proposed a seven-block honeycomb to describe what each social platform emphasizes, with blocks running from identity and presence to groups, reputation, relationships, sharing and conversations. Platforms differ in which blocks they stress, and businesses should match them to their goals.
| Platform | Building blocks emphasized | Fit for the shop |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing, identity | Showing bikes, rides and local routes | |
| Facebook group | Groups, conversations, relationships | Organizing weekend rides and rider discussion |
| YouTube | Sharing, reputation | How-to repair videos that build expertise |
| Relationships, reputation | Reaching employers for bike-to-work programs | |
| TikTok | Sharing | Reaching younger riders; uncertain fit for the shop's older core customers |
The Chosen Mix
TikTok is left out for now because the shop cannot produce video at the pace the platform rewards, and its best customers, adults buying e-bikes, are more active elsewhere.
| Platform | Job | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Show the shop's bikes, rides and the local riding scene | Profile visits and direct messages about bikes | |
| Facebook group | Run the weekend ride community | Members and ride sign-ups |
| YouTube | Teach basic repairs and show expertise | Views and service bookings mentioning videos |
| Build bike-to-work partnerships with local employers | Meetings with employers |
Why Fewer Platforms
Krasniak et al. (2021) advise businesses to choose platforms where their customers are and where they can sustain activity, rather than trying to be everywhere. With four employees, the shop can maintain four platforms only if each has a clear purpose and a modest posting schedule.
Conclusion
Social media works for the shop when it gives riders something to share and a community to join. Instagram, a Facebook ride group, YouTube repair videos and LinkedIn employer outreach each do a different job, matched to the building blocks each platform emphasizes, and each has a measure.
References
Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons, 54(3), 241-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005
Krasniak, M., Zimmerman, J., & Ng, D. (2021). Social media marketing all-in-one for dummies (5th ed.). Wiley.
Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons, 52(4), 357-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.03.002
Reading the MKT 4410 Module 1 assignment instructions
MKT-4410 grades four voiceover presentations, four written assignments, three social media activities, two reflection journals and a final project in which you plan social media marketing for a real company and present the plan as narrated slides. This written assignment covers the social media mix. Expect to explain how social media fits the promotion mix, compare platforms and choose a mix for a business. Pick one business for the whole term, because the presentations and the final project build on it, and give each platform you choose a clear purpose and a way to measure it.
How the MKT 4410 Module 1 example is put together
The paper describes the business and its unplanned posting. A section places social media in the promotion mix using research on its hybrid role. A table compares platforms on the honeycomb's building blocks. A second table sets out the chosen mix, with a job and a measure for each platform, and the text explains why one popular platform is left out. A section on sustaining activity and a conclusion follow, with the conclusion restating the jobs. Every comparison in the first table leads to a decision in the second, so the analysis ends in a mix the shop can act on. The research on social media's role in promotion explains why the shop should aim for conversation rather than broadcast. The table format suits a comparison.
Reading the MKT 4410 Module 1 grading rubric
Social media assignments are graded on correct concepts, a real business as the example, research backing and cited prose. Papers that compare platforms with a framework, such as the honeycomb, and choose a mix with reasons show analytical skill. Giving each platform a job and a measure demonstrates strategic thinking. Explaining why a platform was left out shows judgment, and research on social media's role in promotion supports the analysis. Mentors also value a mix the business can sustain with its staff. Two tables, one comparing platforms and one assigning jobs, make the reasoning easy to check, and APA references support it. Explaining a platform left out earns credit too.
MKT 4410 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost marks
Platform papers lose marks for listing platforms without explaining why they fit, for choosing every platform or for setting no way to measure results. Others describe platforms in general rather than for their business. Use a framework to compare platforms. Choose only those you can sustain. Give each a job and a measure. Explain any popular platform you leave out. Start from your customers: where do they spend time, and what would make them talk about you? Check that each platform's job is different from the others, or the mix will repeat itself. A free first sample on your own MKT-4410 Module 1 assignment is available on request.
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More MKT 4410 and B.S.B.A. in Marketing sample papers
- MKT 4410 Module 2: Voiceover Presentation: Cybersocial Tools for a Four-Person Shop
- MKT 4410 Module 3: Written Assignment: A Content Strategy Built on Local Riding Stories
- MKT 4410 Module 4: Written Assignment: LinkedIn for Bike-to-Work Partnerships
- MKT 4410 Module 5: Voiceover Presentation: How the Shop Will Use Each Platform
- MKT 4410 Module 6: Written Assignment: Measuring Whether Social Media Brings Riders In
- MKT 4410 Module 7: Final Project: A Social Media Marketing Plan Presentation for the Bike Shop
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MKT 4410 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MKT 4410 Module 1 sample paper?
A bicycle shop's social media mix, chosen with the honeycomb of building blocks, is the assignment above.
Why is social media called a hybrid element of the promotion mix?
Because firms use it to talk to customers, while customers also use it to talk to one another about the firm.
What is the social media honeycomb?
Kietzmann and colleagues' seven-part honeycomb, which asks how much a platform centers on who users are, where they are, whom they know, what they share and say, how they are rated and which groups they join.
How many platforms should a small business use?
Only as many as it can sustain with a clear purpose for each.
What textbook does MKT-4410 use?
Social Media Marketing All-in-One for Dummies, fifth edition, by Krasniak, Zimmerman and Ng, from Wiley.