Like, comment and share: examining the effect of firm-created content and user-generated content on consumer engagement

ABSTRACT

Social media marketing efforts have been considered an essential role for businesses to stay in the competition and ensure the prosperity of the business world. This study aims to investigate the decisive role of two types of social media brand communication, namely firm-created content (FCC) and user-generated content (UGC), on customer engagement. Drawing on 257 fans of a coffee shop page on Facebook and using the structural equation modelling approach, the finding of this study indicated that FCC and UGC are significant predictors of customer engagement in the form of ‘like,’ ‘share,’ and ‘comment.’ The results indicate that UGC is a stronger predictor of liking and sharing than FCC, but that the effect of FCC on commenting is greater than that of UGC. The findings of this study contribute to the leisure context by examining the effect of two types of social media brand communication on customer engagement.

RÉSUMÉ

Les activités marketing dans les médias sociaux sont considérées comme essentielles pour les entreprises qui souhaitent demeurer concurrentielles et assurer leur rentabilité. Cette étude se penche sur le rôle décisif de deux types de communication de l’image de marque dans les médias sociaux, à savoir le contenu créé par l’entreprise (CCE) ou le contenu généré par l’utilisateur (CGU), sur le niveau d’engagement des consommateurs envers ceux-ci. S’appuyant sur les 257 abonnés de la page d’un café sur Facebook, et en employant l’approche de modélisation des équations structurelles, cette étude conclut que le CCE et le CGU sont des prédicteurs de la participation du consommateur sous forme de « j’aime », de « partages » et de « commentaires ». Ces résultats montrent que le CGU est un meilleur prédicteur du nombre de « j’aime » et de « partager » que le CCE, alors que l’effet du CCE sur les Commentaires est supérieur à celui du CGU. Les résultats de cette étude contribuent à la recherche en loisirs en soulignant l’effet sur l’engagement du consommateur de deux types de communication de l’image de marque d’une entreprise dans les médias sociaux.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media marketing
• user-generated content brand communication
• firm-created content brand communication
• consumer engagement
• coffee shops
• leisure industry

MOTSCLÉS:

• marketing sur les réseaux sociaux
• communication de l’image de marque dans le contenu généré par l’utilisateur et créé par l’entreprise
• engagement des consommateurs
• cafés
• secteur du loisir

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Blend Ibrahim

Blend Ibrahim is an Assistant Professor of Marketing and Tourism at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Girne American University. He was awarded his MSC degree in Business Management (Marketing) from Girne American University, North Cyprus in 2016 and his Ph.D. degree from Girne American University, North Cyprus in 2019. His current research interests include digital marketing, social media marketing, corporate social responsibility, consumer behaviour, sustainable Tourism.

Ahmad Aljarah

Ahmad Aljarah holds a Ph.D. in Business Management with further postgraduate studies in corporate social responsibility and social media marketing. He currently works at Girne American University as an Assistant Professor of marketing. He nurtures a keen interest in qualitative and quantitative data analysis. His particular specialization is corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and social media marketing.

Derya Timucin Hayat

Derya Timucin Hayat received her BSc in Tourism Management (2002), and MSc in Tourism and Hospitality Management (2005) from Eastern Mediterranean University, Ph.D. in Tourism and Hospitality Management (2020) from Girne American University. She has over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Now she is a lecturer in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, ‘Girne American University, -North Cyprus-Turkey’. Her current research interests include stakeholder management, sustainable tourism, cultural heritage tourism/eco-tourism. She is giving lectures on Hotel operations, Travel Agency operations, Human Resource in Hospitality and Hospitality Ethics

Eva Lahuerta-Otero

Eva Lahuerta-Otero holds a PhD in Economics by the University of Salamanca (Spain) where she currently works as an associate professor in the Marketing Department. She is also director of the global MBA of IME business school and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Innovations in Digital Marketing. She writes and presents widely on topics related to social media, online advertising, sustainable marketing, CSR and cultural effects on innovation and sustainable performance.