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BH 635

Business Horizons (2014) 57, 695—702

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Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

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ScienceDirect
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Say yes to Facebook and get your customers
involved! Relationships in a world of social
networks

yo
Hélia Gonçalves Pereira *, Maria de Fátima Salgueiro, Inês Mateus

Business Research Unit (UNIDE-IUL), University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), Av. das Forças Armadas,
1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
op
KEYWORDS Abstract This article investigates the role of Facebook in the establishment of
Brand; relationships between brands and their fans, extending the link between relationship
Facebook; marketing and online consumer behavior. We explore what drives a user to connect
Online consumer with a brand profile on Facebook, to participate and interact with the community, and
behavior; to share content published by brands on their own personal walls. To understand this
Social networks relationship, we employed both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
The qualitative study was based on in-depth interviews of online marketing specialists
and on a focus group comprised of Facebook users who were brand followers. The
tC

quantitative study was based on a structured questionnaire, which gathered

responses from 650 Facebook brand followers. Results show that while Facebook
users are willing to connect to brands on Facebook, they do not seem to interact or to
frequently share brand content themselves. As a consequence, brands must strategize
to establish a relationship with their brand profile fans.
# 2014 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.
No

1. How to consolidate the Facebook
fan-brand community
Much has changed since February 2004, when Mark
Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and
Eduardo Saverin launched Facebook from their dorm
room at Harvard. What was meant to be a digital
Do
directory for Harvard University students–—a niche
social network–—has become an online meeting
place that allows people to communicate efficiently
with friends, family, and co-workers around the
world.
Every day, millions of people share their goings-
on by updating their status on Facebook. They
impart thoughts and opinions by posting messages
to their walls; leave personal notes and comments
on those of others; communicate using the chat

* Corresponding author
E-mail addresses: helia.pereira@iscte.pt (H.G. Pereira),
fatima.salgueiro@iscte.pt (M. de Fátima Salgueiro),
inestomasmateus@gmail.com (I. Mateus)
tool; say ‘‘hello’’ with Pokes; exhibit photos of their
trips, parties, or other events; organize football
matches with friends via Event Creation; and share

0007-6813/$ — see front matter # 2014 Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.001

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 696
videos. Facebook is an online network focused on
relationships (Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy, &
Silvestre, 2011).
In this new era, Facebook ranks as the world’s
most viewed website, with 972 million regular users
in January 2013 (Socialbakers, 2013). One aspect
that differentiates Facebook from other networks
is the way in which it welcomes businesses, opening
the platform to users through applications, pene-
trating websites via social plug-ins, and transform-
ing itself into a privileged marketing channel
enhanced with social ads. Companies have reacted
to the emergence of Facebook with enthusiasm, and
brand profiles have proliferated accordingly.
These brands strive to create and consolidate fan
communities, but it remains unclear whether Face-
yo
book’s dramatic impact on interpersonal relation-
ships will extend to relationships between brands
and their fan communities. The question is: How
should brands present themselves to obtain best
results via the Facebook platform?
Unlike participants in most virtual worlds, Face-
book users–—or ‘Facebookers’–—tend to have profiles
that fairly represent their actual personal charac-
op
teristics and context (Zhao, Grasmuck, & Martin,
2008). In general, users of social networks are
extroverts who are willing to risk more, and
men outnumber women (Underwood, Kerlin, &
Farrington-Flint, 2011). Ross et al. (2009) suggest
that Facebookers’ personality traits are correlated
with visit frequency and time of use. Extroverted
people have a higher probability of belonging to
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social groups and communities on Facebook; neu-
rotic, more fearful people tend to use Facebook
tools that convey a feeling of greater control, such
as posting on their walls. Experienced Facebookers,
who are familiar with the platform, spend the most
time per day on Facebook. Openness to experience
is the personality factor most associated with trying
out new methods of communication and using a
No
social network to seek out novel experiences, Face-
book included (Butt & Phillips, 2008).
Only 5% to 10% of users produce content on the
Web (Ang, 2011). That is, the vast majority prefer to
‘show’ rather than ‘say,’ sharing content instead of
creating it (Zhao et al., 2008). Nevertheless, Face-
book consumers tend to become ‘prosumers,’ taking
over brands in a phenomenon referred to as ‘brand-
jacking.’ A research study by Elliott, Fleming, Re-
itsma, Martland, and Jaddou (2012) notes that 71%
Do
of Internet users under the age of 21 are content
creators.
If the general user pattern is true, companies
must understand how to increase a user’s predispo-
sition toward engaging in social networks; that is,
their willingness to participate (WTP). The goal is
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H.G. Pereira et al.
t
to encourage user progress through the following
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participation levels: viewing, forwarding, comment-
ing, creating, moderating discussions, and judging/
mediating conflicts (Parent, Plangger, & Bal, 2011).
Companies should co-create by providing a platform
that gives a voice to consumers, enabling them to
associate in communities of ‘swimming pools’ (con-
nected to an idea), axes (connected to a leader), or
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networks (interconnected)–—in short, to participate
in collaborative marketing via Facebook (Hanna,
Rohm, & Crittenden, 2011; Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010).
2. Target: The online consumer
With the development of Web 2.0 and the prolifer-
ation of e-commerce, a new kind of customer has
emerged: the online consumer (Solomon, 2009).
This buyer has a different purchase lifecycle and
a distinct decision-making profile. Most importantly,
the online consumer’s decision cycle is shorter than
that of the traditional consumer.
Social network users live in a ‘statusphere’ of
constant affirmation based on what they like and do
not like–—a statusphere created by their participa-
tion: pressing a key or a ‘like’ button, or updating
their profile status on the network. The Facebook
wall displays this panoply of interactions, represent-
ing a showcase of all user activity and network
contacts. Because of the diversity of users that
frequent Facebook and the freedom that social net-
works allow, brands must define their target audi-
ence more specifically as they determine how they
want to be present on social networks.
3. The quest for the click-through:
Brand presence in social networks
With so many customers and potential customers
participating in social networks, it’s hardly surpris-
ing that companies are joining the party. A study
commissioned by global office solutions provider
Regus (2010) revealed that 40% of companies on
social networks worldwide use the networks to at-
tract new business, 51% to communicate with
contacts, 51% to communicate with customers,
and 58% to gather business intelligence.
The influence of the Internet on purchase inten-
tion has been growing. A study by InSites Consulting
(2011) revealed that in Europe over 50% of social
network users are connected to brands, 36% have
commented on a brand, 42% dialogued with the
brand, 53% reacted to comments from the brand,
and 51% consulted information. This suggests that
consumers prefer to react to brand updates rather
 Say yes to Facebook and get your customers involved! Relationships in a world of social networks
than start conversations with the brand. Although
people connect mostly because they share a rela-
tionship offline, 12% connect because they share a
taste for the same products or services, and 9%
connect because they like the same brands. About
70% of consumers report that one of the reasons they
joined Facebook was information regarding new
products and brands.
This type of online behavior suggests why brands
are becoming more visible on Facebook, with content
published directly by the brands, shared by users, or
shared via Facebook tools such as Sponsored Stories
or Facebook Ads. While the click-through rate of ads
in social networks is below 1%1, the effect of these ads
on brands can be seen over time. A study by ComScore
(2011) showed that visits to an advertiser’s website in
yo
mature markets like Europe increased on average by
72% depending on whether users had been exposed to
its ad. It also indicated that the ads increased by an
average of 94% the likelihood that users will conduct a
search using keywords related to the brand. Among
other findings, the ComScore study has demonstrated
an inverse correlation between a market’s maturity
on the Internet and the click-through rate. It also
op
corroborated results from Nielsen (2010), showing
that these ads increase brand awareness and pur-
chase intention. The ads received a large number of
views, especially when friends who are brand fans
were mentioned.
For each incremental day branded content is pub-
lished on the brand Facebook page, reach among fans
increases by 2.5% (ComScore, 2011). Reaching fans
tC
with marketing messages is certainly of interest to
brands, but friends of fans also represent a sizeable
potential audience. A Facebook analysis of the top
100 brand pages suggests that for every fan, an
additional 34 friends of fans may be reached. This
multiplier grows even larger as we look among the top
1,000 fan pages, with a potential of 81 friends of fans
on average. Thus, the value of a fan will be as high as
No
the company’s ability to increase the depth of com-
mitment and loyalty among fans, in that way influ-
encing the purchases of their friends.
4. Brand fans: What makes them
connect?
A study conducted in the United States by Business
Wire (2012) determined the top five reasons for
becoming a fan of a brand on Facebook:
Do
1 demographic and technical backgrounds, each of
According to a study by Nielsen (2010) of more than 800,000
users and ads from 14 brands in the United States; corroborated
by a study from Marketing Charts (2013). The latter indicates that
these numbers did not change much over the last 3 years.
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697
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1. Being a consumer of the company (58%);
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2. Seeking to receive discounts and promotions
(57%);
3. Showing others that you like/support the brand
(41%);
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4. Being the first to have information about the
brand (31%); and
5. Having access to exclusive content (31%).
Another global study, carried out by InSites Consult-
ing (2011), found that people become fans of a
brand primarily because they like the product. They
become fans because they use the product (46%) or
it has been recommended to them by friends (29%).
Many followers (28%) reported that they became
fans because they received an invitation through
the network or through search engines (27%), were
influenced by advertising on social networks (26%),
were influenced by online advertising (22%), or had
the intention to buy the product (22%). Being invited
by a brand and via traditional advertising were the
last two reasons mentioned, both by 18% of the
respondents.
Once it has decided to be present on a social
network, the brand should engage in a continued
dialogue with its followers. In this manner, brands
may better understand what their consumers think
and feel, or how they behave; promote social re-
sponsibility; promote products and services; im-
prove internal sharing of knowledge; and increase
brand awareness. Social networks enable and en-
courage conversations that can be appreciated
by all members of the community and establish
bonds between community members and the brand
(Szmigin, Carrigan, & Reppel, 2005).
5. The research: In-depth interviews
and focus group
Since there is scant extant research regarding con-
sumer behavior on social networks, our study used a
methodology that combines qualitative and quanti-
tative research techniques. The qualitative study
included in-depth interviews with online marketing
specialists and a focus group comprised of Facebook
users who were brand followers. The focus group
involved seven participants from different socio-
whom followed at least one brand on Facebook.
Both interviews and the focus group were conducted
in the third quarter of 2012 in Portugal. Interviews
 698 H.G. Pereira et al.

t
were conducted at each participant’s workplace, As for what motivates fans to gather around a

while the focus group was held in a special room
for this kind of methodological approach in the mar-
keting department of the university involved in the
study.
5.1. In-depth interviews
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brand on Facebook, respondents indicated affinity
with the brand, content relevance, dynamics, and
interactivity. These findings are very important for
practitioners seeking to effectively define their ap-
proach to communication via Facebook.
After winning fans, the brand has to keep them
involved. To this end, respondents reported the

Fifteen in-depth interviews (see Table 1) were con-
ducted with online marketing specialists responsible
for the social media strategy for several brands in
Portugal. To gain a wider perspective, we purposely
selected seven employees of the client and eight
employees of the agency to comprise our sample.
All respondents demonstrated awareness of the
social networking phenomenon and resulting benefits
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importance of an updated and neat profile, offering
content exclusively created for the fan community.
All respondents indicated that a profile’s success
depends on brand strength and, above all, content.
The importance of exclusivity and relevance of
content was reinforced throughout the interviews,
which suggests that an effective Facebook strategy
calls for specific content, developed uniquely for

yo
to businesses, especially in facilitating relationships
with consumers. They noted, however, the difficulty
of maintaining the continuous stream of content
necessary to stimulate daily communication with
the consumer. Employees of the companies indicated
that the decision to be present on Facebook is un-
complicated: they have to be where their customers
are, though they must also avoid seeming intrusive–—
op
a goal echoed by employees of the agencies.
All respondents agreed that a company cannot
create an effective Facebook presence without
strategizing brand profile maintenance. This plan
should be consistent with both the brand and the
nature of the social network. Transparency is a
priority for all of the respondents. Indeed, consum-
ers expect a different type of presence from differ-
tC
the platform and the brand’s community.
5.2. Focus group
The focus group began with questions about how
individuals use Facebook. Most participants noted
the ubiquity of social networks in their daily lives,
via computer and mobile phone. ‘‘My Facebook has
exactly the same work schedule as I have,’’ said one
focus group member. Participants noted that in
joining brand profiles on Facebook, they are gov-
erned by affectivity: ‘‘I only become a fan of the
brands I like.’’ During the discussion, focus group
members articulated more reasons for becoming a
fan or liking a brand on Facebook, including ‘‘re-
ceiving tips,’’ ‘‘gaining access to special things,’’

ent brands, and a brand’s presence on Facebook and ‘‘obtaining feedback from other users who have
must reflect the brand’s identity. already bought and tried the product.’’

Table 1. Interview results

Key issues for brands on Facebook Respondent comments
No

Social networking challenge ‘‘There are few companies that can currently establish a genuine
relationship with the consumer.’’
Why be present on Facebook?
For COMPANIES ‘‘Natural and unavoidable, also because being a global brand, it was an
alignment for every country in the World.’’
For AGENCIES ‘‘Study clearly the role they (companies) intend to play in consumers’
lives on a space they consider private.’’

Social network strategy ‘‘Carefully thought of considering two main factors: the brand DNA and
the nature of the social network.’’
Do

‘‘Timing and content have necessarily to be adjusted over time in order

for one to understand if they are current and relevant to the consumer
at the moment of their release.’’

Exclusive content generates buzz ‘‘The fans feel special because they see what no one else sees, and
(therefore) the buzz is spontaneously and naturally generated.’’

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 Say yes to Facebook and get your customers involved! Relationships in a world of social networks 699

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Table 2. Survey profile

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Demographic characteristics Who is the consumer?
Gender: Registered for:
Female 60.7% < = 6 months 9.9%
Male 39.3% 7—12 months 22.3%
> 1 year 67.8%
Age (in years): Accesses Facebook:

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< = 22 29% Several times per day 43.2%
23—29 36% Daily 41.8%
30—39 27% Several times per week 12.5%
> = 40 8% Occasionally 2.5%
Employment status: Follows:
Full-time employees 52% 1 to 5 brands 46.7%
Students 34% 6 to 10 brands 19.5%
Self-employed 10% 11 to 20 brands 12.5%
Unemployed 4% > 20 brands 21.3%

yo
Regarding interaction with brand profiles on
Facebook, the participants revealed a behavior that
may worry many companies. Focus group members
admit to glancing at friends’ and brands’ feeds, but
indicate the activity can be overwhelming: ‘‘I can’t
keep up with everything.’’ Some content–—such as
op
videos, fun posts, and events–—attract attention and
stand out from the ‘noise.’ When asked if they share
content conveyed by brands, participants unani-
mously responded that seldom happens. The burden
is on the brand to make the video or post something
with which the user can identify.
When asked what makes them leave a brand
profile on Facebook, participants cited ‘‘content
tC
construction of the questionnaire. In addition to
gathering data on the demographic characteristics
of the respondents, the questionnaire collected
information on:
1. Using Facebook (how long the individual has been
registered, how many brands he/she follows, and
frequency of use);
2. Becoming and remaining a brand follower (rea-
sons, frequency of visits, and satisfaction with
the brand profile); and
3. Sharing brand profiles (reasons for and frequency

with which I don’t identify myself’’ or ‘‘a profile
that doesn’t match my expectations.’’ Thus, the
focus group indicated that whether users stay or
leave a brand profile depends on whether they feel
they can connect with the brand.
6. Consumer profiles
No
of sharing, types of sharing and personal expe-
riences, reasons for stopping).
When asked how long they had been registered on
Facebook, the majority of the respondents indicat-
ed more than 1 year; 85% accessed this social net-
work on a daily basis, or even several times per day.
Nearly 66% of those surveyed followed 2 to 10

brands. The older the user, the more likely he/she

The quantitative study was based on a survey of
Facebook users who followed one or more brands
ranked in the Portuguese Top 10 based on number of
fans/likes. A research report by Mediascope Europe
and ACEPI (2012) states that Portugal leads Europe
in citizens’ use of social networks, whether for
personal or professional purposes: 95% of Portu-
guese respondents compared to 80% of Europeans.
This higher rate among Portuguese users suggests
Do
was to follow a larger number of brands. Table 2
presents an overview of the users’ demographic
profile, as well as a detailed profile regarding the
use of Facebook by members of the sample.
6.1. Becoming a brand follower and
following a brand
Previous positive experiences with the brand, trust

that the results of our study can be generalized to
other markets. Within the 1-month time limit for
data collection, 650 voluntary Facebook brand fol-
lowers responded to our structured questionnaire.
The main conclusions of the in-depth interviews and
of the focus group were taken into account in the
in the brand, and being a brand customer ranked
highest as reasons for becoming a brand follower. As
Table 3 indicates, having the opportunity to partici-
pate in contests and promotions also influences
users in their decision to follow a brand. It is inter-
esting to note that gender plays a role: males are

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 700 H.G. Pereira et al.

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Table 3. Becoming a brand follower and following the brand

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Why follow? * Frequency of participation? ** Level of satisfaction? ***
Previous positive experience 84.8% Read the brand posts 29.8% Information about 64.1%
events
Trust the brand 83.9% Navigate in the 20.1% Information about 59.7%
brand application products & services
Be a customer of the brand 73.5% ‘Like’ the brand posts 15.4% Regularity of brand 48.8%

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communication
Receive news from the brand 64.1% Navigate in the brand 10.9% Contests 44.9%
profile
Opportunity for contests 54.8% Comment on the brand 6.2% Promotions 40.1%
and promotions posts
Brand awareness 47.2% Comment on other 3.9% Feedback from 34.2%
followers’ posts the brand
Be able to communicate 44.6% Write on the brand wall 3.4% Games & applications 25.6%

yo
directly with the brand
Previous negative experience 43.7%
Get to know and be able to 26.2%
help other brand followers
Having a friend who is 21.3%
also a follower
Percent of respondents who answered:
* very or extremely important; ** often or always; *** satisfied or very satisfied
op
more proactive in searching for brand profiles while optimal occurrence of brand communication, some
females are more likely to just follow Facebook desiring more frequent updates than others. Forty-
brand advertising. nine percent indicate that communications should
How often do Facebook brand followers partici- come only one to three times per week, while 20.8%
pate in the brand profile? The second column of would prefer daily. Since most respondents access
Table 3 indicates that more consumers follow a Facebook within a 24-hour period, or even several
tC

brand than actually participate in it. While almost
half of the respondents follow brands, fewer than
30% regularly read the posts of the brand and navi-
gate in the brand application. Even fewer, less than
10%, either comment on posts or write on the brand
wall.
Our study reveals that Facebook followers are
more satisfied than not with information about
No
times per day, it is interesting that the majority of
followers do not seek daily brand communication.
6.2. Sharing brand profiles and personal
experiences
It is important for companies to understand what
motivates followers to share brand content. Table 4

events, as well as information about products and indicates that the majority of followers will share
services. They are split in their views regarding content if they feel an affinity for the content or are

Table 4. Sharing brands’ profile

Why share brand content? * How often? **
Content affinity 87.1% Promotions and contests 13.1%
Be involved with the brand 71.1% Information about brand events 10.5%
Allow friends to have fun 65.8% Games and applications 9.4%
Friends’ alert to bad experiences 62.1% Information about products and services 7.9%
Do

Receive incentives and prizes 57.8% Information not related to the brand 6.9%
Help friends to decide 40.9% Brand feedback 5.2%
Friends’recognition 18.2%
Percent of respondents who answered:
* important or very important; ** often or always

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 Say yes to Facebook and get your customers involved! Relationships in a world of social networks
involved with the brand. Sharing the fun with
friends, receiving information about bad experien-
ces with the brand, and potential prize winnings also
serve as incentives to share content, according to
more than half the users.
Our demographic information shows that older
respondents are less sensitive to receiving incentives
and prizes than younger Facebook brand followers.
Column 2 of Table 4 shows how often brand followers
share content: not very much, even though the type
of content does play into this. Mostly, respondents
share promotions and contests, whereas brand feed-
back is what respondents share least.
Most brand followers (73%) have never shared
brand experiences with friends in their personal
profiles. The majority of those who have, shared
yo
only positive experiences. When asked if they had
ever unfollowed a brand, 62.3% of the respondents
answered ‘‘never’’ and 9.5% said ‘‘once.’’ What are
the main reasons for deciding to stop being a brand
follower? Content with little appeal, too much ad-
vertising, and a bad experience with the product or
service are the three main reasons respondents
stopped following.
op
7. Lessons learned: Improving
relationships with increasingly
sophisticated consumers
Our research offers practitioners a better under-
tC
standing of the profile of Facebook brand fans and
their relationships with brands. This profile enables
companies to design Facebook communication
strategies that attract fans, maintain the brand
profile, and positively influence levels of engage-
ment with the brand. Defining an effective strategy
and managing a brand profile on Facebook must take
into account three main practices of users:
No
1. Joining a brand profile on Facebook;
2. Following and participating with the brand pro-
file; and
3. Sharing the contents conveyed by the brand.
7.1. Joining a brand profile on Facebook
Do
Companies must decide whether or not to present a
brand profile on Facebook. Respondents unanimous-
ly argue that not all brands should be present.
However, users are open to the presence of brands.
Those brands that elect to create a Facebook
presence–—especially niche brands–—should try to
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701
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develop a dedicated community of fans, defined
os
in an organic and natural way.
Joining usually happens naturally, with 34.6% of
respondents joining after a friend has become a fan
and the friend has published this information to his/
her personal profile. Motivation by advertising on
Facebook is the second-most frequent reason for
joining. Both highlight the importance of presenting
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the profile in the most contextualized way possible.
Facebook’s natural stage is the user’s wall, and
therefore a large part of the brand communication
effort must happen there.
This study also contributes greater understanding
of fan motivation to join a brand. Since the decision
to join a brand is based on identification with the
brand, interaction, and sense of belonging, these
elements are important in defining an action plan
and must reflect fans’ expectations. The brand’s
presence should replicate the brand identity, even
though Facebook allows and encourages deviation.
This presence must be dynamic, but caution should
be practiced in employing competitions and promo-
tions, which tend to quickly capture members who–—
not being genuine fans of the brand–—may reveal low
levels of involvement in the medium term. Finally,
because Facebook is a social environment, brands
must encourage a sense of belonging to the commu-
nity by promoting rituals, such as celebrating the
anniversary of the profile or the achievement of
important milestones.
7.2. Following and participating
Our research shows that levels of following, partici-
pating, and sharing are low. The acts of following
and participating in brand profiles are connected to
extroversion and introversion, which are linked to
variables brands do not control, such as the user’s
personality and proficiency with Facebook. The de-
cision to join is connected to introspective behavior.
If the ensuing interaction meets the expectations of
the brand fan, more outgoing behavior will evolve
naturally. This is another reason that brands must
carefully plan their content to encourage interac-
tivity, which is a critical construct in a relationship
marketing approach.
7.3. Sharing the content
Affinity for content is the most important motivator
behind sharing. We discovered that many fans do not
habitually share brand content, which may indicate
that users do not feel they can connect with the
content. Note that in the empirical study, the term
overwhelmingly stressed by the respondents was
‘content.’
 702
8. Conclusion
It is possible to conclude from this study that compa-
nies must be willing to devote continued and dynamic
resources toward the brand profile, supplying users
with the unique content they need and want once
involved with the brand on Facebook. Brands should
consider this point strategically in their efforts to
involve consumers and gain a relationship with them.
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