Fostering Social Media Relationships: The Role of Parasocial Interaction

Abstract

Companies are investing substantial time and resources in their social media efforts; worldwide 2011 social spending exceeded six billion dollars (Sterling 2012). Despite this, marketers still lack a solid understanding of why consumers engage with brands through social media, and ultimately the outcomes of these investments. Social networks, like Facebook, were originally designed as environments for interacting with close friends, although countless brands have successfully crossed into this realm. This research offers an empirical investigation to explore the elements for developing strong consumer-brand relationships on social media channels and the value that these interactions have for brands.