![]() Think about why you engage with or pass along information you see on social media. What makes you like and share it with your friends? Does it connect you emotionally? Is it worthy? Does it say something about the kind of person that you are? If an article makes a reader extremely angry or highly anxious-- stories about a political scandal or new risk factor for cancer -- it becomes likely to share as it would be a feel-good story. Motives for sharing content:
People share content because of there goals: (1) Self-enhancement--that is, to help people feel good about themselves; (2) Identification with a group or community; and (3) Utilitarian benefits, such as winning a prize. Sharing for self-enhancement: People are motivated to feel good about themselves. One way people can boost their self-image is to share content that makes them feel superior to others on a specific dimension-- for example, to show that they are wealthier, more athletic, smarter, more stylish, or more philanthropic than other people. As a result of this desire to self-enhance, people are more likely to share content that is timely and newsworthy for their audience, suggesting that they are "in the know". In addition, brands can provide "tools" for consumers to enable co-creation and sharing content that signals knowledge about a topic. Sharing for a group identification: Engaging and sharing content can signal a consumer's affiliation (or a distance from) specific groups. For example, a teenager can "like" a Facebook fan page of a showbiz celebrity, both to receive news about his/her, but also to signal to others that they are a fan. This motivation works when people want to be more closely identified with a specific network. Sharing for utilitarian benefits: Sometimes, consumers receive a direct benefit for sharing, for example, brands can offer consumers incentives (such as a discount coupon or a chance to win a prize) when they share content with their networks. Motivating sharing by providing utilitarian benefits can be effective in activating simple behaviors, such as clicking a link or liking a page. However, consumers attribute their sharing behavior to the incentive rather than to their connection with a brand itself, often this approach is less effective in changing branch perspectives, loyalty, and longer-term behaviors. Comments are closed.
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AuthorRebellious head, crazy about challenges, changes, passionate about writing. That's all about the author. Archives
July 2018
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