Popularity of Branded Content in Social Media

Abstract

ABSTRACT A content-analytical study was conducted to examine the popularity of branded messages in social media. Six hundred unique posts published by 100 brands were investigated and content analyzed; this dataset was further used to test what content features contribute to subsequent popularity (measured with the number of likes, shares, and comments). The results reveal that messages constructed in a story-like format receive the highest indicators of popularity. Humor has been found to moderate this effect in such a way that it leads to lower number of responses toward narrative (versus non-narrative) content. Additionally, story-based posts have been observed to become more popular when they represent highly involving product categories, with a long purchase cycle, while non-durables or fast moving consumer goods are less likely to benefit from storytelling online.