Developing a Model of the Relationship between Social Networks and Social Marketing in the Development of Sports for All in Iran

Background and Purpose
Social Marketing seeks to develop constructive practices through sports to support the modification and improvement of behaviors and lifestyles, while also enriching society's leisure time (Rouhani, Andam, Bahr ol Olum, & Memari, 2020). Currently, the very low participation of Iranians in "Sports for All" and recreational sports, which is a social issue with behavioral roots, is not exempt from this principle (Tatari; Ehsani; Koozechian; Nowrouzi Seyed Hosseini; 2019, 39). If the development of sports for all is ignored in a society and there is no structured program in place, that society will face numerous problems, including various physical abnormalities and other issues, both direct and indirect, resulting from a lack of participation in physical activities. Such neglect is considered a form of misbehavior in civilized societies (Carmen, 2016). Therefore, low participation in the sport activities and the lack of comprehensive development of "Sports for All" are considered major social issues (Li, Lai, & Lin, 2016). They identified social media and related activities, such as advertising, as effective factors in launching social marketing campaigns. They highlighted the numerous benefits of this approach, including the creation of new opportunities that encourage the adoption of beneficial behaviors aligned with societal goals.
In Iran, particularly in the realm of cyberspace policymaking and new media, insufficient attention has been paid to the communication needs of Iranians in joining social networks. In fact, the negative perspective toward technological developments in new media and the neglect of the audience's communication needs not only prevent us from gaining a scientific understanding of these needs, but also create an environment that allows these networks to exert influence—often in ways that do not align with our national and social interests (Sobhani & Hashemi; 2017, 170). Given that many factors influence participation in sports activities, the researchers of this study have decided to approach this important issue from a new perspective. They aim to explore the concepts and solutions offered by social networks and their impact on the development of social marketing. Through this approach, they seek to identify ways to change behaviors and promote desirable and innovative behaviors by raising awareness about social marketing. Considering the lack of research in the field of sports management, the author intends to investigate the relationship between the components of virtual networks and social marketing in the development of "Sports for All."
 
Materials and Methods
This research is applied in terms of purpose and is a descriptive-survey in nature with regard to data collection. Specifically, it employs a correlational design and structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study consisted of members of sports clubs affiliated with the Department of Sports and Youth in Tehran, who had at least six months of membership and were active on social networks. Using a cluster sampling method, five regions were selected from the 22 regions of Tehran. From each selected region, eight gyms were randomly chosen, and ten individuals were randomly selected from each gym. The sample size of 384 participants was determined using Morgan's table. In this study, three questionnaires were used: the Social Network Questionnaire by Veisi (2016), Debsi’s Social Marketing Questionnaire (2018), and Babaei et al.'s Sports Development Questionnaire (2018). Veisi's Social Network Questionnaire (2016) consists of 21 questions, with questions 1-7 serving as indicators of diversity and extent, questions 8-14 as indicators of the information factor, and questions 15-21 as indicators of the trust factor. The validity of this questionnaire was checked and confirmed by experts, and its reliability was found to be 0.88 using Cronbach’s alpha test. Debsi’s Social Marketing Questionnaire (2018) contains 31 questions, with responses rated on a five-point Likert scale. The components of this questionnaire include general public, cost of participation, accessibility, social connection, promotions, and partners. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Software Version 23 and Smart PLS Software Version 3, with a significance level of 0.05.
 
Results
According to the results of table 6, it can be concluded that social networks have a positive and significant effect on the development of sports for all through social marketing (p = 0.001, β = 0.960) at the 0.01 significance level.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
According to the results of the research, it can be concluded that through social marketing and the use of social networks, it is possible to develop sport for all in society and attract the audience to various sports. Group social media are new types of online media that offer features such as participation opportunities, voting, commenting, sharing information, two-way communication, dialogue, community formation, and the ability to connect with others. Considering that a large percentage of the population are users of social networks, these platforms can be utilized to encourage people to engage in physical exercise. Therefore, it is recommended that top managers of the country leverage social networks for the development of sports for all, and actively promote a culture of physical activity by sharing sports-related educational videos, photos, and GIFs. Given that marketing is an effective method for the development of sports for all, social marketing, as a key concept in marketing, can be effectively applied to strengthen the connection between social networks and the promotion of sports for all. The findings of this research can serve as a foundation for social marketing policies aimed at increasing physical activity.