How to Improve Customer Engagement in Social Networks: A Study of Spanish Brands in the Automotive Industry

Luis Matosas-López,Alberto Romero-Ania

doi:10.3390/jtaer16070177

Abstract

The objective of this research is to identify to what extent volumes, components, time slots, and publication topics improve customer engagement with Spanish automotive brands through social networks. The study considers thirteen brands and the total number of publications created by them in 2020 (23,670 publications) on the social network Twitter. Applying machine learning algorithms followed by multiple linear regression techniques, the authors examine how the variables previously mentioned affect a customer engagement indicator developed for this purpose. The results reveal that while publication components (links, mentions, and hashtags) and the publication time slot do not affect customer engagement, the volume of retweets made by the brand and publications on customer experience topics (without a direct commercial purpose) significantly improve the customer engagement indicator. The authors conclude that customer engagement in social networks can only be improved by conducting exhaustive analyses of activity data for these platforms. However, such analyses must not be done via generic multisector analyses, which only generate superficial and inapplicable knowledge, but rather through detailed studies for each sector.

Highlights

Rodríguez-Ardura andThe generalization of the use of social networks has created a new relational paradigm in our lives
The results of the multiple linear regression analysis show the existence of a model in which only two of the 26 considered independent variables have a significant influence on the dependent variable, represented by the customer engagement indicator
While it is true that this study is not the first to address the issue of customer engagement in social networks within the automotive industry, the present work provides an updated view of the field under study

Summary

Introduction

The generalization of the use of social networks has created a new relational paradigm in our lives. This fact has led the academic community to examine these technologies from different perspectives. Some examples include studies of the ideological polarization [8], the effect on political commitment [9], the social impact of religious influencers [10], the identification of environmental problems in certain areas [11], the development of social activism movements [12], predictions of economic fluctuations in stock exchange markets [13], the influence in the promotion of organizational development [14], and effects on corporate investment efficiency [15]

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion