Abstract: Fans of brand pages are valuable as they help spread positive word-of-mouth on social media, and drive brand recommendations to other social media users. Companies, such as Nike and Coca-Cola, are focusing their social media strategies on identifying ways to motivate fans to share and create brand-related content. Whereas previous studies have shown that brand page loyalty and attachment are important for fan engagement with brand pages, this research examines engagement drivers for fans of brand pages from the perspective of self-expansion theory. A survey was conducted with 188 millennial users who have a favorite brand page on Instagram. The study examined users’ experiences on their favorite brand pages and how self-expansion needs impact sharing and creation of brand-related content. Our findings show that brand page self-expansion is a more important driver for sharing and creation activities than brand page attachment. Thus, companies should provide content on their social media pages that helps loyal fans to develop their perspectives and skills, expand their sense of identity, and enable their personal growth. The findings also highlight that brands should strive to produce unique, tailored content on social media platforms in order to meet loyal fans’ self-expansion needs, and that successful brand pages should provide consumers with opportunities to acquire new knowledge and competencies in their interest areas.
Topic: Social Media Strategies
Social Media Strategies for Overcoming Stakeholder Social Media Fatigue: A Trialogue Approach
Abstract: The continuation of rapid changes in Web 2.0 has transformed the practice of business communication and stakeholders’ expectations. One paramount issue facing corporate communicators is stakeholders’ social media fatigue that leads to online disengagement and social media strategy ineffectiveness. To tackle this challenge, a conceptual model is provided to guide the development of alternative social media strategies that capitalize on the impact of vicarious interaction and reenergize stakeholders via trialogue based on the corporate-influencer-stakeholder (parasocial) relationships. A systematic review of research literature and a deep dive in the professional reports regarding corporate communication and social media strategies are conducted. A model for overcoming stakeholder social media fatigue via optimizing corporate- influencer-stakeholder (parasocial) relationship is proposed and elaborated, with actionable social media strategies recommended for corporate communicators to use.