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Engaging fans and the community in social media: interaction with institutions of higher education on Facebook

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  • Felicitas M. Brech
  • Uwe Messer
  • Brian A. Vander Schee
  • Philipp A. Rauschnabel
  • Bjoern S. Ivens

Abstract

Although many universities use social media to interact with stakeholders, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Drawing on theories of self-presentation and community engagement, we develop a theoretical model to explain these crucial outcome factors. We then test the model based on secondary data from 159 universities. Our findings reveal the double-edged nature of community size: universities with a strong reputation tend to have more Facebook fans, but having many Facebook fans has detrimental effects on individual fan engagement. Furthermore, the frequency of updates is a crucial factor, as too frequent and too infrequent updates lead to lower levels of fan engagement. We discuss theoretical implications for online communities and derive implications for social media managers.

Suggested Citation

  • Felicitas M. Brech & Uwe Messer & Brian A. Vander Schee & Philipp A. Rauschnabel & Bjoern S. Ivens, 2017. "Engaging fans and the community in social media: interaction with institutions of higher education on Facebook," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 112-130, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jmkthe:v:27:y:2017:i:1:p:112-130
    DOI: 10.1080/08841241.2016.1219803
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    1. Jose Luis Matarranz & Jesús García-Madariaga & Marisol Carvajal, 2024. "Approach to the sense of belonging: construct for the marketing of entrepreneurships in higher education," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 2187-2207, September.
    2. Snehasish Banerjee & Alton Y. K. Chua, 2019. "Identifying the antecedents of posts’ popularity on Facebook Fan Pages," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(6), pages 621-633, November.
    3. Horváth, Zsófia & Neszveda, Gábor, 2024. "Új szempont a magyar felsőoktatási intézmények teljesítményének mérésében - az egyetemek online láthatósága [Online visibility - A new aspect of measuring the performance of Hungarian higher educat," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 755-790.
    4. Angel Meseguer-Martinez & Alejandro Ros-Galvez & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia & Jose Antonio Catalan-Alarcon, 2019. "Online video impact of world class universities," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 29(3), pages 519-532, September.
    5. Omar SALEM, 2020. "Social Media Marketing In Higher Education Institutions," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 23, pages 191-196, August.
    6. Paul Capriotti & Ileana Zeler, 2023. "Analysing effective social media communication in higher education institutions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.

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