Content Strategies for Digital Consumer Engagement in Social Networks: Why Advertising Is an Antecedent of Engagement

Abstract

Advertisers need to optimize their efforts on social networks to engage consumers effectively. Existing literature on this topic has not yet explained how social network advertising (SNA) can be categorized into different content types and how to conceptualize and operationalize digital consumer engagement (DCE) in social networks. Thus, we derive seven content categories for social network advertising and a four-level model for DCE based on consumers' intermediate mind-set responses. We propose the impact of different SNA categories as an antecedent of DCE. Our results confirm a significant but unequal impact of at least four content categories on various engagement metrics. We therefore distill the successful content strategies and content attributes for specific types of engagement and confirm intermediate responses to advertising in a real market situation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

José Manuel Gavilanes

José Manuel Gavilanes (PhD, RWTH Aachen University) is chair assistant, RWTH Aachen University.

Tessa Christina Flatten

Tessa Christina Flatten (Univ. Prof. PhD, RWTH Aachen University) is a professor of technology and innovation management, TU Dortmund University.

Malte Brettel

Malte Brettel (Univ. Prof. PhD, RWTH Aachen University) is a professor and head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group (WIN), Center for Entrepreneurship, TIME Research Area, School of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University.