Social media engagement behaviour: a uses and gratifications perspective

The proliferation of social media platforms in recent years has precipitated a paradigm shift among consumers, as they become more proactive in their direct interactions with brands. Practitioners recognise the value of these interactions, and are endeavouring to build engagement through their social media content. However, despite recent research in this field, theoretically-based academic guidance on a strategic approach to developing engagement in new-media social networks remains limited. In addition, while the Uses and Gratifications theoretical perspective has long claimed that media users are motivated by a need to engage with content, it is unclear whether this perspective can explain the engagement of…