Can Companies Generate Engagement Through Their Social Media Activity? A Field Experiment

Firms are increasingly designing digital communication to stimulate consumers’ engagement with their Fan-pages and, as a result, increase the share of earned vs. paid media. This paper examines how the design of similar campaigns affects rebroadcasting activity, by focusing on the fit between the post and the brand fan page and the presence of promotions. To examine whether posts that are consistent (fit) with the brand fan-page are more effective at promoting engagement, the authors use data from a field experiment conducted in cooperation with a major electronics manufacturer. Results suggest that engagement varies with the fit between the post and the brand page and decreases when a post concerns a financial offer incongruent with the brand page.