Azer J, Blasco-Arcas L, Harrigan P. #COVID-19: Forms and drivers of social media users' engagement behavior toward a global crisis.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 2021;
135:99-111. [PMID:
36540310 PMCID:
PMC9754676 DOI:
10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.030]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Social media constitutes a pervasive communication media that has had a prominent role during global crises. While crisis communication research suggests that individuals use social media differently during a crisis, little is known about what forms of engagement behavior may emerge and what drivers may lead to different forms of social media users' engagement behavior toward a global crisis. This study uses netnography and in-depth interviews to explore social media users' behavioral manifestations toward the COVID-19 crisis; thereby, we identify nine forms and six drivers and develop a framework of relationships between these forms and drivers. Those findings provide a better understanding of social media engagement toward the crisis from individual users' perspectives, which helps commercial and non-commercial marketers to determine the users' sentiments and reactions reflected in their engagement behaviors, hence, communicate more effectively and in a more engaging way during and beyond a global crisis.
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