Elsevier

Business Horizons

Volume 57, Issue 6, November–December 2014, Pages 695-702
Business Horizons

Say yes to Facebook and get your customers involved! Relationships in a world of social networks

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.001Get rights and content

Abstract

This article investigates the role of Facebook in the establishment of relationships between brands and their fans, extending the link between relationship marketing and online consumer behavior. We explore what drives a user to connect with a brand profile on Facebook, to participate and interact with the community, and to share content published by brands on their own personal walls. To understand this relationship, we employed both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The qualitative study was based on in-depth interviews of online marketing specialists and on a focus group comprised of Facebook users who were brand followers. The quantitative study was based on a structured questionnaire, which gathered responses from 650 Facebook brand followers. Results show that while Facebook users are willing to connect to brands on Facebook, they do not seem to interact or to frequently share brand content themselves. As a consequence, brands must strategize to establish a relationship with their brand profile fans.

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)

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