Abstract
PurposeThis study aims to investigate whether users’ engagement with a social media platform is affected as they engage in non-sponsored brand-related user-generated content (UGC). The concept of non-sponsored brand-related UGC encapsulates various social media patterns in which individuals choose how to consume, contribute or create brand-related content with no formal brand incentive or control.Design/methodology/approachThe study focuses on the question of how users engage with non-sponsored brand-related UGC on Instagram and assesses the influence of UGC perceived value, using partial least squares variance-based structural equation modeling.FindingsThe research shows significant and positive effects of UGC on Instagram users’ intentions to engage with the platform and the influence of UGC perceived value on UGC uses. The findings deepen the understanding of the mechanisms underlying non-sponsored brand-related UGC in consumer engagement marketing, with significant implications for brand managers and the future development of Instagram and other social media platforms.Originality/valueThe UGC functional, social and emotional values are evaluated for their effects on generating the three distinct patterns of consumer online brand-related activities (consumer, contribute and create) in the non-sponsored brand-related UGC context.
Highlights
The age distribution reflects the nature of the sample, students or/and young adults who constitute the biggest proportion of Instagram users in the country of study. 93.3% (375 respondents) had an Instagram account. 85.6% (321 respondents) use Instagram daily, 10.1% (38 respondents) use it some days a week and 3.2% (12 respondents) use it only occasionally
The smallest follower brackets were 3001-5000 (3.2% - 12 respondents) and 5001-10,000 (4.3% - 16 respondents). They were presented with two examples of real non-sponsored brand-related user-generated content (UGC) posted by users on Instagram
UGC functional, social and emotional values are evaluated for their effects on generating the three distinct patterns of consumer online brand related activities
Summary
Previous studies in this research stream have focused on exploring brand-related UGC as a general pattern of behaviors that reflect usersenjoyment of the value they perceive in online interactions (Kim et al, 2012; Jahn and Kunz, 2012). Previous studies showed that users engage with social media in search of gratifications associated with a social, functional and emotional value (e.g., Kim et al, 2012; Jahn and Kunz, 2012; Leiner et al, 2018); collaboration (Hanna et al, 2011) and trust (Pasternak et al, 2017) These studies only considered UGC behaviors in general and did not explore how perceived value may differentially impact users’ involvement in the specific UGC activities of consuming, contributing, and creating new content. A variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach using partial least squares (PLS) have been applied because (i) the study is exploratory rather than (theory) confirmatory; and (ii) methodological prerequisites of the data distribution and sample requirements are more appropriate for the use of variance-based SEM (Davcik, 2014; Hair et al, 2017)
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