Say yes to Facebook and get your customers involved! Relationships in a world of social networks
Section snippets
How to consolidate the Facebook fan-brand community
Much has changed since February 2004, when Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin launched Facebook from their dorm room at Harvard. What was meant to be a digital directory for Harvard University students—a niche social network—has become an online meeting place that allows people to communicate efficiently with friends, family, and co-workers around the world.
Every day, millions of people share their goings-on by updating their status on Facebook. They impart
Target: The online consumer
With the development of Web 2.0 and the proliferation of e-commerce, a new kind of customer has emerged: the online consumer (Solomon, 2009). This buyer has a different purchase lifecycle and a distinct decision-making profile. Most importantly, the online consumer's decision cycle is shorter than that of the traditional consumer.
Social network users live in a ‘statusphere’ of constant affirmation based on what they like and do not like—a statusphere created by their participation: pressing a
The quest for the click-through: Brand presence in social networks
With so many customers and potential customers participating in social networks, it's hardly surprising that companies are joining the party. A study commissioned by global office solutions provider Regus (2010) revealed that 40% of companies on social networks worldwide use the networks to attract new business, 51% to communicate with contacts, 51% to communicate with customers, and 58% to gather business intelligence.
The influence of the Internet on purchase intention has been growing. A
Brand fans: What makes them connect?
A study conducted in the United States by Business Wire (2012) determined the top five reasons for becoming a fan of a brand on Facebook:
- 1.
Being a consumer of the company (58%);
- 2.
Seeking to receive discounts and promotions (57%);
- 3.
Showing others that you like/support the brand (41%);
- 4.
Being the first to have information about the brand (31%); and
- 5.
Having access to exclusive content (31%).
Another global study, carried out by InSites Consulting (2011), found that people become fans of a brand primarily
The research: In-depth interviews and focus group
Since there is scant extant research regarding consumer behavior on social networks, our study used a methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The qualitative study included in-depth interviews with online marketing specialists and a focus group comprised of Facebook users who were brand followers. The focus group involved seven participants from different socio-demographic and technical backgrounds, each of whom followed at least one brand on Facebook. Both
Consumer profiles
The quantitative study was based on a survey of Facebook users who followed one or more brands ranked in the Portuguese Top 10 based on number of fans/likes. A research report by Mediascope Europe and ACEPI (2012) states that Portugal leads Europe in citizens’ use of social networks, whether for personal or professional purposes: 95% of Portuguese respondents compared to 80% of Europeans.
This higher rate among Portuguese users suggests that the results of our study can be generalized to other
Lessons learned: Improving relationships with increasingly sophisticated consumers
Our research offers practitioners a better understanding of the profile of Facebook brand fans and their relationships with brands. This profile enables companies to design Facebook communication strategies that attract fans, maintain the brand profile, and positively influence levels of engagement with the brand. Defining an effective strategy and managing a brand profile on Facebook must take into account three main practices of users:
- 1.
Joining a brand profile on Facebook;
- 2.
Following and
Conclusion
It is possible to conclude from this study that companies must be willing to devote continued and dynamic resources toward the brand profile, supplying users with the unique content they need and want once involved with the brand on Facebook. Brands should consider this point strategically in their efforts to involve consumers and gain a relationship with them.
References (20)
- et al.
Personality and self-reported mobile phone use
Computers in Human Behavior
(2008) - et al.
We’re all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem
Business Horizons
(2011) - et al.
Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media
Business Horizons
(2010) - et al.
Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media
Business Horizons
(2011) - et al.
The new WTP: Willingness to participate
Business Horizons
(2011) - et al.
Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use
Computers in Human Behavior
(2009) - et al.
The lies we tell and what they say about us: Using behavioural characteristics to explain Facebook activity
Computers in Human Behavior
(2011) - et al.
Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships
Computers in Human Behavior
(2008) Community relationship management and social media
Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management
(2011)- Business Wire. (2012, July 31). Constant Contact and Chadwick Martin Bailey study shows word-of-mouth key to success of...
Cited by (58)
The role of influencer–follower congruence in the relationship between influencer marketing and purchase behaviour
2023, Journal of Retailing and Consumer ServicesEnvironmental factors to maximize social media engagement: A comprehensive framework
2023, Journal of Retailing and Consumer ServicesUnderstanding value co-creation in virtual communities: The key role of complementarities and trade-offs
2021, Information and ManagementCitation Excerpt :The empirical framework of our analysis focuses on Facebook virtual communities. Facebook, the most viewed virtual social network [73], has grown enormously in the last few years [10,25,74]. It offers a user group that is highly committed to the community [75].
Customer engagement behaviour on social commerce platforms: An empirical study
2021, Technology in SocietyCitation Excerpt :The extant literature emphasises that s-commerce sustainability depends on customer engagement [20,21]. However, few studies have provided insights into CEB on s-commerce platforms [22–27]. These studies can be categorized as studies that focus on social factors only such as Zhang et al. [28]; Hajli et al. (2015); Hajli [2]; and Gummerus et al. [25] who have conducted empirical studies to examine the effect of social factors on CEB.
The four dimensions of social network analysis: An overview of research methods, applications, and software tools
2020, Information FusionCitation Excerpt :Moore et al. [211] concluded that this role of social media in forming customers’ relationship with brands could be different according to the kind of platform used: Facebook or Twitter. In this sense, Pereira et al. [212] noticed that though customers on Facebook are enthused to follow brand accounts, they are less interested in keeping contact with them or re-sharing their content in their own page. Similar research were conducted on Twitter by Kim et al. [202], where based on the data collected by the authors, the conclusion is that brand re-tweeters show an extent level of brand trust, brand identification and community commitment.
Eco-friendliness and fashion perceptual attributes of fashion brands: An analysis of consumers’ perceptions based on twitter data mining
2020, Journal of Cleaner Production