TEMPTING FATE: SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, UNFOLLOWING, AND LONG-TERM SALES

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wang, Shuting (Ada); Greenwood, Brad N.; Pavlou, Paul A.
• 署名单位: City University of New York (CUNY) System; Baruch College (CUNY); George Mason University; University of Houston System; University of Houston
• 刊物名称: MIS QUARTERLY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0276-7783
• DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2020/15510
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 1521-1571
• 关键词: brand; INFORMATION; management; FRAMEWORK; consumers; networks; density; Loyalty; models; IMPACT

摘要

In this study, we examine how a firm's decision to post on social media affects the propensity of its followers to (1) purchase its products and (2) unfollow the firm. Using a unique dataset from a large fashion retailer which frequently sends mass non-customized information-only posts on social media (i.e., non-coupons), findings indicate that such posts increase short-term purchases by 6%. However, these posts also increase followers ' propensity to unfollow the firm by 280%, significantly reducing long-term sales. Strikingly, this punitive effect of social media posting appears to manifest under very specific circumstances. Results indicate that these changes in unfollowing and long-term sales are larger if posts are sent in more crowded cities or during commuting hours (suggesting that the stress formed by personal crowding and the follower's environment may play a key role in followers' reactions to social media postings). These results underscore the potential downsides of sending blanket, non-customized, messages to followers, notably during times of intense psychological stress, as well as avenues to avoid such pitfalls.