An exploration of the uses and gratifications of social media as part of B2B processes: Decision makers vs. marketers

Morgan Christopher, Ben Marder

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Social Media adoption is ubiquitous by both consumers and businesses. Recent studies have provided much insight on the role of social media in B2C processes but little is known about its function in B2B. Given that knowledge of B2C markets is not always transferable to understand B2B markets, this highlights an important research gap. Through the lens of Uses and Gratification Theory, this study aims to explore the uses and gratifications (U&G) of social media from both the perspective of the business consumer and the perceptions of these from the viewpoint of marketers. Nine in-depth interviews with professionals in the IT industry provide data to understand and contrast U&G from the standpoint of the two samples. Findings show that social media is used primarily for validation of important factors in the decision-making processes, although nuanced differences exist between decision-makers and marketers. Furthermore, decision-makers emphasize the value of community rather than content. Practical implications are provided.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 20 May 2016
EventAcademy of Marketing Science - Orlando, United Kingdom
Duration: 17 May 201621 May 2016

Conference

ConferenceAcademy of Marketing Science
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityOrlando
Period17/05/1621/05/16

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An exploration of the uses and gratifications of social media as part of B2B processes: Decision makers vs. marketers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this