Testing a conceptual model of Facebook brand page communities

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate consumer participation in Facebook brand page communities from the perspectives of uses and gratification theory and mass media dependency theory. Design/methodology/approach – Data collection via an online survey resulted in 450 valid surveys where consumers indicated to what extent their motivations for Facebook use were socializing, entertainment, status seeking and information seeking. The sample included 358 respondents who had previously liked a brand on Facebook. These respondents were asked to provide the name of a brand they had liked on Facebook and answered questions regarding their experiences with the Facebook brand page for their self-identified brand. Findings – Results indicate that motivation dimensions have differential effects at three different stages of consumer interaction with a Facebook brand page community. Socializing and information seeking are the primary reasons for initially joining a Facebook brand page community. After becoming a member of a Facebook brand page community, consumers require entertainment to keep them engaged. However, as consumers become more sophisticated, their involvement with a Facebook brand page and their frequency of posting on that page are dependent on their need for information. Originality/value – Insight is gained into the role of social media, specifically Facebook, in brand building. As theoretical frameworks that can guide branding practices using the social media channel are still in their infancy, this research makes an important contribution to the ongoing theoretical discussion. Additionally, the findings add to the online brand community literature by demonstrating the key drivers of consumer willingness to join and participate in a Facebook brand page community.