| Course | MGT 215 Customer Relationship Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 4 |
| Paper type | Social media and community paper |
| Length | About 1,037 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MGT 215 Module 4
Joining the Knitters Where They Already Are: Social Media and an Online Community for an Independent Yarn Shop
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
MGT 215: Customer Relationship Management
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Joining the Knitters Where They Already Are: Social Media and an Online Community for an Independent Yarn Shop
Woolgather Yarns, a composite independent shop in Burlington, Vermont, sells yarn from small farms and mills, needles and patterns, and offers classes in its back room. It has about 2,600 email subscribers and an Instagram account where the owner posts product photos twice a week, usually drawing a dozen likes. Meanwhile, a local knitting group of about 1,900 members, run by a customer, is lively, with members posting finished projects, asking for help and arranging meetups at a café. The shop is mentioned there often but takes no part. The owner wants to know how to use social media to build relationships rather than simply advertise.
What Social Media Is
Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) defined social media as internet-based applications that build on the ideas and technology of Web 2.0 and allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. They classified social media by how much it involves self-presentation and how rich the media is, distinguishing collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites and virtual worlds. Their advice to companies included choosing applications carefully, aligning activities and being active, humble and honest. Woolgather's product photos fit few of these principles: the content is the shop's, not its customers', and the conversation goes one way.
Where the Shop Stands Now
A simple review of the shop's online presence shows the gap. Over the past six months, its Instagram posts drew an average of 14 likes and almost no comments, and only 3% of email subscribers clicked anything in a typical newsletter. In the local group, by contrast, the shop's name appeared in about 40 posts, mostly recommendations of particular yarns and questions about class times, and two posts complaining about a sold-out color. Customers are already talking about Woolgather, often warmly, but the shop hears none of it. The first task is to listen, which Kaplan and Haenlein list among the basic rules for companies entering social media.
What Makes a Community
Muñiz and O'Guinn (2001) studied communities around brands such as Saab and found three markers. Members share a consciousness of kind, a sense that they belong together and differ from outsiders. They maintain rituals and traditions that keep the community's history and culture alive. And they feel moral responsibility to other members, helping newcomers and supporting each other. These markers describe the local knitting group well. Knitters share an identity, hold regular meetups and help each other fix mistakes. The community already exists; the question is whether the shop can join it respectfully and support it, rather than trying to build a rival.
The Social Media Ecosystem
Hanna et al. (2011) argued that social media should not be treated as a separate set of tools but as part of an ecosystem that includes traditional and digital channels, where customers move between them. Their examples showed companies joining online conversations with in-person events and other media. For Woolgather, the shop's physical space is its strongest asset; online activity should bring people into the back room and keep them connected between visits.
Proposed Activities
| Activity | Description | Community marker supported |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly knit-along | Members knit the same pattern and share progress online, then meet in the shop | Rituals and traditions |
| Project gallery | Customers post finished pieces made with shop yarn, shared on the shop's account with permission | Consciousness of kind |
| Help sessions | Weekly drop-in for fixing mistakes, advertised in the group | Moral responsibility |
| Farm stories | Posts about the farms supplying yarn, written with the farmers | Shared identity with local sourcing |
| Group partnership | Offer the existing group the back room for meetups and a members' discount | Supports the existing community |
Training the Staff
The three part-time employees who work the counter are the people knitters actually talk to. They will learn to invite customers to the knit-along, ask permission before photographing finished pieces and pass questions they cannot answer to the owner. Each will take one help session a month, so the community knows more than one face from the shop. Staff who knit themselves will be encouraged to post their own projects, which makes the shop's account feel like a member of the community rather than a storefront.
An Example Month
In a typical month, the shop would announce a new knit-along pattern in the first week, using yarn from one of its partner farms, and post a short story about that farm. Members would share progress photos in the group and on the shop's account through the month. Two help sessions would run on Thursday evenings. At the end of the month, finishers would gather in the back room to show their work, and the best photos, shared with permission, would appear in the gallery and the email newsletter. The rhythm repeats, which is what turns activities into traditions.
Joining the Existing Group
The owner will ask the group's organizer how the shop could help, rather than posting promotions there. Offering free space for meetups and answering questions when asked respects the group's norms. Muñiz and O'Guinn's markers suggest that members will resent a business that treats the group as advertising space.
Risks and Costs
Communities require steady effort; a knit-along that fizzles after two months may disappoint members. The owner estimates five hours a week of staff time, which a part-time employee will cover. Negative comments, for example about a yarn that pilled, will be answered openly and quickly. Sharing customer photos requires permission every time.
Measuring Relationships
The owner will track how many customers take part in at least one activity each quarter, their repeat purchase rate compared with other customers, knit-along participation, help-session attendance and the share of new customers who say they heard of the shop through the community. Follower counts will be tracked but not treated as the goal.
Conclusion
Woolgather's customers already form a community; the shop has simply not joined it. Kaplan and Haenlein's definition shows why one-way product photos fall short, Muñiz and O'Guinn's markers explain what the community values, and Hanna and colleagues' ecosystem view ties online activity to the shop's back room. By supporting the community rather than advertising to it, the shop can build relationships that sales promotions cannot.
References
Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We're all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business Horizons, 54(3), 265-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.007
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Muñiz, A. M., Jr., & O'Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412-432. https://doi.org/10.1086/319618
MGT 215 Module 4 instructions, in plain terms
Aspen's MGT 215 description mentions Web 2.0 and social networking within CRM strategies, so a fourth-module paper typically asks how a company can use these tools to build relationships. Rely on the Module 4 wording posted in your classroom; here the question is applied to one small retailer. Define social media and online community using research. Assess how the company and its customers use social media now. Explain what makes a community genuine rather than a marketing channel. Propose specific activities, connecting online and offline contact. Address risks, such as negative comments or the effort needed to sustain a community. Finish with measures that show whether relationships are actually stronger.
How the MGT 215 Module 4 example is put together
The paper opens with Woolgather Yarns, a composite Burlington shop whose owner posts product photos twice a week and gets few responses, while 1,900 local knitters share projects in a group the shop does not run. Kaplan and Haenlein's Business Horizons article defines social media and distinguishes types, such as collaborative projects, communities and social networking sites. Muñiz and O'Guinn's Journal of Consumer Research article describes brand communities and their three markers. Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden argue that social media should be integrated with traditional channels rather than run separately. A table lists activities, such as a monthly knit-along and a project gallery, and which community marker each supports. Measures include repeat purchases by community members and in-store event attendance.
Reading the MGT 215 Module 4 grading rubric
Graders of a social media paper reward an accurate definition, an honest assessment of the current situation, activities with a clear purpose and measures beyond counts of followers. This example defines social media through Kaplan and Haenlein and community through Muñiz and O'Guinn, then uses those markers to design activities rather than listing platforms. The table links each activity to a marker, showing why it should build relationships. Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden's ecosystem view explains why the plan joins online and in-store contact. A section on risks shows realistic judgment. Measures focus on repeat purchases and participation, which reflect relationships better than likes.
Common MGT 215 Module 4 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Social media papers frequently list platforms and posting schedules without explaining how any of it builds relationships. Begin with what customers want from each other and from the company, then choose activities. Another weakness is treating a community as an audience for advertising; research on brand communities shows members value connection with each other. Assess the current situation honestly, including communities the company does not control. Join online activity to in-person or other channels. Address risks and the staff time required. Finally, measure behavior that matters, such as repeat purchasing and participation, rather than follower counts alone. Include a realistic estimate of who will do the work each week.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MGT 215 Module 4 questions, answered
What does MGT 215 Module 4 usually ask for?
Aspen's MGT 215 includes social media and online communities in CRM, so a paper on using these tools to build customer relationships is typical. Check your classroom prompt.
What is a brand community?
Muñiz and O'Guinn define it as a community of admirers of a brand marked by shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of responsibility to other members.
How do companies use social media in CRM?
To listen to customers, respond to them, help them connect with each other and integrate those conversations with other channels, as Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden describe.
Where can I find a free MGT 215 Module 4 sample paper?
The complete paper above builds a social media and community plan for an independent yarn shop, using research on brand communities and the social media ecosystem.
How should social media success be measured?
By changes in customer behavior, such as repeat purchases and participation, not only by followers or likes.