Situated Ideals in Strategic Social Media: Applying Grounded Practical Theory in a Case of Successful Social Media Management

Abstract

For as many theories about why using social media works in communication management, there are few studies that analyze how it actually works, leaving communicators with few standards beyond gut-instinct and “what’s working for now” management. This study explores social media management empirically on an in-depth level, using grounded practical theory principles and in-depth interviews with strategic communication professionals to uncover the strategies, processes, and situated ideals that underpin successful strategic communication via social media. Findings demonstrate the importance of communicator expertise and communication integration in managing social media communication.