Linguistic Landscape and Discourse Strategies in Selected Online Marketing Interactions

Discourse strategies are aspects of language use that are used tactfully to achieve intended outcomes in human relations including online marketing situations, which are not physical site market places but virtual on social media. Previous studies on language forms in markets like Adegun Kemi and those on social media like Aisha Bala-Sale have investigated language forms in onsite and walk-in markets and social media language without giving adequate attention to online market situations. This study thus investigates the language landscape and discourse strategies in online marketing to determine the forms of language and how the forms function. Data were got from selected social media platforms: Facebook, WhatsApp and Tik-tok. Screenshots of displayed items and engagements in the comment sections were screenshot and subjected to a Discourse analysis. Dell Hymes Ethnography of Speaking was adopted as theoretical framework to show how language works in context and to what end it is used. Findings show that predominantly standard English served as language of communication in online marketing, followed by Nigerian pidgin. The use of local language expressions especially in aspects of code mixing and switching took the third rank. In all these social media languages characterised by acronyms, pronunciable spellings, the use of emojis, and abbreviations etc. formed part of on-line marketing. Discourse strategies identified include appeal, elicitation and affirmation. Overall, online marketing has been identified to have unique and perculiar setting, and a knowledge of the setting, the discourse strategies perculiar to online marketing will helps to understand and appreciate online marketing better.