Journal of Consumer Behaviour, J. Consumer Behav.

10: 356–364 (2011)

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/cb.376

Consumer activity in social media: Managerial approaches to consumers’

social media behavior
KRISTINA HEINONEN*
Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management (CERS), Hanken School of Economics, Department of Marketing, Helsinki, Finland

ABSTRACT

Today, consumers are involved in a variety of activities, ranging from consuming content to participating in discussions, sharing knowledge with
other consumers, and contributing to other consumers’ activities. With the enormous interest in social media sites, such as YouTube, MySpace,
Facebook, and Wikipedia, consumers are assumed to be actively contributing to marketing content. However, despite the rich opportunities for
contributing, recent academic research indicates that consumers are not necessarily as active online as has been believed. The aim of this paper is
to conceptualize consumers’ activities in social media by examining the motivations behind the activities. By offering a more detailed
description of the differences in consumer use of social media, the study extends existing research on consumer activities related to user-created
content. Based on consumer narratives of their social media activity, we identified 15 activities grouped under three themes. The conceptual
framework is used to suggest managerial strategies related to different levels of consumer activity. Thus, it provides a tool for uncovering
managerial challenges and for planning responses to consumer activities.
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

INTRODUCTION ment can be challenging and confusing (Davies and Elliot,

In marketing, there is currently a growing interest in digital
interactivity, especially in consumer activity in social media.
Information technology is empowering consumers, and their
role is shifting from being passive recipients of information
to becoming active generators of information (Stewart and
Pavlou, 2002). As consumers are increasingly performing
activities previously controlled by companies, the entire
marketing landscape is changing. Therefore, companies need
to better understand the changing behavior of consumers, in
order to create mutual benefits from the use of social media.
Consumers’ online behavior is developing at a fast rate.
Consumers are taking part in a variety of activities ranging
from consuming content, participating in discussions, and
sharing knowledge with other consumers to contributing to
other consumers’ activities. This active consumer behavior
is changing the media and marketing landscape as consumers
are invading companies’ marketing sphere (Berthon et al.,
2008). With the enormous interest in social media and
user-generated content (UGC) on sites, such as YouTube,
MySpace, Facebook, and Wikipedia, consumers are seen to
be actively contributing to the marketing content.
At the same time, although the opportunities for active
involvement are good, some academic studies on the topic in-
dicate that consumers are not necessarily as active online as it
has been believed (Jones et al., 2004; Joyce and Kraut, 2006;
Preece et al., 2004). Interestingly, consumers are typically
described as being active and creative (Berthon et al.,
2008), neglecting the fact that depending on differences in
interest and resources only a small number of consumers in
fact produce the majority of user-generated content
(Courtois et al., 2009). Research has also shown that the
increased choice and responsibility resulting from empower-
*Correspondence to: Kristina Heinonen, Hanken School of Economics;
Department of Marketing, Helsinki, Finland.
E-mail: kristina.heinonen@hanken.fi
2006). As a result, social media activity is not necessarily
as prevalent as expected and desired by researchers and
practitioners. Therefore, more research is needed to identify
the different levels of activity and the bases of such activities.
Recent research on consumer activity in social media and
on user-generated content has examined the motivations for
using or not using social media (e.g. Park et al., 2009;
Raacke and Bonds-Raacke, 2008; Baker and White, 2010;
Shao, 2009). It has been proposed that consumers are either
active as posters or contributors or passive as lurkers or consu-
mers of content (e.g. Schlosser, 2005; Shang et al., 2006; Shao,
2009). In an online brand community context, practice-
oriented research has focused on describing the practices re-
lated to brand communities (Schau et al., 2009). However,
what is lacking in existing research is a detailed investigation
of the different levels of activities consumers engage in.
What are consumers doing on social media? What are the
motives that drive these social media activities? While recent
research is assuming different levels of consumer activity,
these questions highlight some of the key challenges in social
media research. Therefore, we investigated consumers’
activities in social media by focusing on the motivations
behind the activities. The term social media here refers to
user-created services, such as blogs, online review/rating sites,
social networking sites, and online communities. The term
consumer is used to describe the individual that is active in
the social media, however, not necessarily only consuming
the media but also performing other activities, such as
participating in, using, or producing activities.
We present a conceptual framework for social media
activities based on different levels of consumer input and
consumer motivation. Drawing on narratives generated in
57 consumers’ diary entries focusing on their social media
activity, we substantiate the conceptual framework by
offering detailed descriptions of different social media
activities. The conceptual framework is further used to

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


propose managerial strategies related to the different levels of
consumer activity. Our study contributes to research and
practice in consumer marketing in general and in social
media and online communities in particular by describing
different consumer activities associated with user-generated
content. The goal is to describe in more detail how consumers’
social media activities influence marketing practice.
In what follows, we provide a brief overview of the
concepts of social media and user-generated content in order
to present the approach taken in this paper. We then review
previous research on consumers’ motives for using social me-
dia as well as research on consumers’ activities in social media.
Based on the literature review, we introduce a conceptual
framework of social media activities and apply the framework
in a qualitative study. The emerging social media activities are
then used to propose managerial challenges and activities in re-
sponse to consumers’ activities. Theoretical implications and
agendas for future research are also discussed.
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Social media, such as social networking sites and
user-generated services, have emerged into mass use rather
recently, basically from 2003 onward (Boyd and Ellison,
2008). Academic research is appearing, and related concepts
are explored, such as social networking sites (Boyd and
Ellison, 2008; Utz, 2010), user-generated content (Shao,
2009), and social media (Walker Rettberg, 2009). Basically,
what characterizes user-generated content is the fact that
consumers are the ones producing, designing, publishing,
or editing the content in the media (Krishnamurthy and
Dou, 2008), i.e. the service is user-created. Social media in
turn enable people to share and interact with each other
and the content becomes more democratized (Drury, 2008).
Although differences between the many concepts describing
this new media have been implied and many would argue
that user-generated content is a characteristic of social media,
the concepts social media and user-generated content have
been used semi-interchangeably (Kaplan and Haenlein,
2010). In this paper, social media and user-generated media
are seen to denote the same phenomenon that consumers
are creating the content in the media.
Different typologies of social media depending on
their type and characteristics have been suggested (e.g.
Krishnamurthy and Dou, 2008; Shao, 2009). For example,
Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) categorized social media into
collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social
networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social
worlds. Similarly, in this paper, we categorize collaborative
projects and blogs as content creation and publishing tools.
Collaborative projects or wikis are websites that allow
people to contribute or edit content in a collective way. Blogs
refer to online publications where the most recent entries
are published first and are written in a personal and conversa-
tional style. Content-sharing communities are focused on
sharing particular content, not on building a network (e.g.
YouTube, Flickr, and Dopplr). Social networking sites enable
users to create and maintain a community of individuals.
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Consumer activity in social media 357
Virtual game worlds and social worlds, such as Second Life
or World of Warcraft, are more entertainment-oriented and
enable consumers to enter a virtual or other reality. In a
multiplayer game-like environment, they encourage commu-
nication and interaction with others. Being different in terms
of means and consequences, these social media types obvi-
ously involve different motivations and activities. In this
paper, social media activities are examined by focusing on
user-created services, such as blogs, online review/rating
sites, social networking sites, and online communities.
Consumers’ motives for engaging in social media
Consumer motives for engaging in social media provide
insights into consumers’ activities. Several studies focusing
on consumers’ motivation have emerged recently (e.g. Ross
et al., 2009; Raacke and Bonds-Raacke, 2008; Grace-Farfaglia
et al., 2006). Many studies on social media and user-generated
media apply a uses and gratification approach (c.f. Shao, 2009;
Park et al., 2009). This approach focuses on consumers’
motives for using a certain media and on the consequences that
follow from those motives (Blumler and Katz, 1974). The
gratification studies exploring social media show similar
findings. Stafford, Stafford and Schkade (2004) found that
consumers’ have three main gratifications or motives for using
the internet as a medium, namely, information, entertainment,
and social aspects. This finding has been supported and
extended by more recent research on user-generated media,
which has identified information, entertainment, social
interaction and community development, self-actualization,
and self-expression as motives (Shao, 2009; Courtois et al.,
2009). Krishnamurthy and Dou (2008) summarized the
motivations into two main groups: rational motives, such as
knowledge-sharing and advocacy, and emotional motives,
such as social connection and self-expression. Park et al.
(2009) found four motives for using social networking sites:
socializing, entertainment, self-status seeking, and information.
These gratifications are common motives for consumers’
activities performed in social media, as will be proposed below.
Consumer activities in social media
Consumers’ activities in social media has been explored based
on how actively (or passively) consumers behave online.
Community members have frequently been grouped according
to their communication behavior and in this context the poster-
lurker dichotomy has been widely used (e.g. Schlosser, 2005;
Shang et al., 2006). Using this approach, de Valck et al.,
(2009) identified six different virtual community member
types based on members’ communication/participation
patterns: 1) Core members were those who contributed to the
community the most by retrieving, supplying, and discussing
information. 2) Conversationalists focused on discussing
information. 3) Informationalists mainly retrieved and
supplied information. 4) Hobbyists focused on maintaining
and updating their personal information on the website.
5) Functionalists were interested in retrieving information. 6)
Opportunists only retrieved marginal content from the website.
This categorization is thus based on information activities
and did not include other types of activities.
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb
358 K. Heinonen
In contrast, Shao (2009) proposed that people perform a
variety of activities online: 1) Consumption of information
and entertainment, 2) participation in social interaction and
community development, and 3) production of self-expression
and self-actualization. Consumption means reading the content
that is posted by other users; participation occurs when people
comment on others’ creations, and production means posting
one’s own content on the site. Shao (2009) also noted that these
three activities are often integrated that people often engage in
all three activities or in a combination of two, and that it is not
always possible to differentiate clearly between the activities.
Despite identifying the three main activities and the resulting
consequences of these activities, Shao’s study does not provide
insights into the various subactivities that occur within the
main categories. The activities of consumption, participation,
and production may also include other activities that are not
described by the categorization based on contribution levels.
In other words, it is appropriate to identify other activities that
can be relevant for users of social media.
Most research on consumer activities related to UGC
(User-Generated Content) emphasizes consumers’ communica-
tion behavior based on the dichotomy of contribution (posting)
and consumption (lurking).Thus, research has indicated
that consumers are in fact not very active online, i.e. they
commonly show a low level of participation and contribution
on social media (c.f. Jones et al., 2004; Joyce and Kraut,
2006; Preece et al., 2004). However, looking beyond activities
based on communication and information needs, other studies
have drawn attention to the importance of social networking
and entertaining. For example, Schau et al. (2009) identified
12 practices related to brand communities. Three practices
were related to social networking: welcoming, empathizing,
and governing. Two practices concerned impression
management: evangelizing and justifying. Four practices were
related to community engagement: staking, milestoning,
badging, and documenting. Three practices concerned brand
use grooming, customizing, and commoditizing. This line of
thinking on practices can be used to extend the concept of
activity by detailing the practices performed in social media.
CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF SOCIAL MEDIA
ACTIVITIES
Building on the discussion above, we propose that consumers’
social media activities can be conceptualized based on two
major dimensions: consumer motivations and consumer input.
The separation of activities into three main types, i.e. consump-
tion, participation, and contribution (Shao, 2009), provides
general information about what consumers do, i.e. it illustrates
consumers’ input. Examining consumer motivations in terms
of entertainment, social connection, and information provides
more details concerning the nature of three main activity types
identified by Shao. In Figure 1, the two perspectives are
combined in a simple 3x3 matrix. Nine potential outcomes fol-
low from this categorization. Activities to the right
involve a higher level of consumer input in terms of content
contribution. The activities are based on motivation range from
utilitarian to hedonic motives.
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
All elements in the model are present in existing research,
but they have not been combined into one single framework.
For example, Shao (2009) focused on consumer contributions
as input but found that consumption is mainly related to
information and entertainment; participation is related to social
connection; and production is mainly related to self-expression
that can be seen as a part of entertainment. Courtois et al.,
(2009) focused on motivations, and in addition to informa-
tional, entertaining, and social functions, they also emphasized
escapist functions and personal functions. Although several
gratifications have been proposed, it seems that the three major
motivations (information, social connection, and entertain-
ment) are the most common ones. In our empirical study, the
conceptual framework was used to identify and categorize
the activities that consumers performed in social media.
EMPIRICAL STUDY
Due to the scant research on social media activities, an ex-
ploratory study design was chosen. A diary method was used
to capture the voice of the customer (Griffin & Hauser, 1993;
Bolger, Davis & Rafaeli, 2003). The diary method has been
described as a method that captures life as it is lived where
respondents are asked to report on daily events and experi-
ences (Bolger, Davis & Rafaeli, 2003). Typically, as the diary
is directly linked with the event and experience, it focuses on
respondents’ natural and spontaneous feelings, rather than
more retrospective thoughts (Bolger, Davis & Rafaeli, 2003).
Respondents kept a diary to report their thoughts and emo-
tions of using social media sites. The diary was so-called
event-contingent where the respondent reports whenever a de-
fined event occurs (Wheeler & Reis, 1991), i.e. directly after
using the site. The resulting narratives reflect the respondents’
own wording and thus exactly represent the respondents’
views of their own reality. The diary was developed as a qual-
itative questionnaire summarizing information about social
media use in a structured way. For each use of social media
site, respondents summarized the name of the site, the type of
user-generated content, the dates, time, and length of visit.
The diary was based on three parts, but only the findings from
the first parts are reported here. The first part was based loosely
on the studies by Shao (2009) and Stafford, Stafford, and
Schkade (2004) focusing on the activities performed and the
motivations behind the activities. It included three themes
used to solicit the narratives concerning respondents’ percep-
tions and use of social media: 1) respondents’ perceptions
about the content of the message, 2) the activities performed
(consumption, participation, and production), and 3) the
effects of social media. Respondents were asked to reflect
upon the following three questions: 1) Describe the content
(e.g. opinions, experiences, advice and commentary). What
did you experience?, 2) Describe the activities (consumption,
participation, production). What did you do and why?, and
3) What effect did the social media have on you? How did
the social media influence your activities and perceptions?
The empirical study was conducted in 2009 among young
individuals representing the users of user-generated services.
Focusing on young individuals is consistent with previous
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb

Figure 1. Conceptual model of consumers’ social media activities.
studies in the area (e.g. Correa, 2010; Courtois et al. 2009;
Park et al., 2009). Fifty-seven marketing students were asked
to evaluate and report their use of five different user-created
services, which resulted in a total sample size of 285 journal
entries. Of the respondents, 34 were women and 23 men.
The data was analyzed as follows: A variable-oriented
approach (Miles and Huberman, 1994) was used to group
and categorize the narratives based on the dimensions of the
conceptual framework. The dimensions cut across cases and
the narratives were further analyzed to identify subcategories
of the identified dimensions. This was done by conceptualizing
and abstracting the meaning of the words (Strauss and Corbin,
1998). Data pertaining to the three consumer input dimensions
(consumption, participation, and production) and the three
motivation types (information, social connection, and entertain-
ment) were grouped into different categories. The six categories
all included several subcategories that emerged inductively.
FINDINGS
The findings from the study are discussed by starting with the
motivation behind the activity. To provide an overview of the
findings, the activities are first structured based on consumer
input and motivation using the proposed conceptual
framework. The activities emerging from the data are then
categorized into three motivation groups, and the findings are
substantiated with illustrative quotes from the narratives.
The findings indicated that consumers are mostly
consuming the content; only a few respondents were
contributors or producers of user-created services. Of the-
sample, 201 activities were related to consumption, 41
concerned consumption and participation activities, and 36
were related to production activities.
Social media behavior
The activities were categorized based on consumer input and
consumer motives (Figure 2). Consumer input mainly
concerned consumption and participation, and only some
activities were related to production. Acquiring and consum-
ing information were two of the main activities. Most
respondents visited different UGC sites, consumed the
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Consumer activity in social media 359
Figure 2. An overview of social media activities.
content, but did not write comments nor produce their own
content on the sites. The majority of cases where the
respondents also produced some content to an UGC were
reported from social networking sites. Some respondents also
reported production on other websites, such as leaving
comments on discussion boards, writing reviews, posting
and sharing their own music, and blogging.
The motives for visiting a UGC site were fairly similar to
those of consumers who also chose to participate on the site.
Sometimes there was only one motivation (information,
entertainment, or social connection), but often it was a com-
bination of two or three. Information, entertainment,
surveillance, opinions, and inspiration were frequently
mentioned. Not surprisingly, social connection and a need to
communicate were mentioned repeatedly, as well as searches
for people with whom to discuss different topics such as music.
The activities are discussed in more detail below.
Social media activities
The 15 social media activities emerging from the narratives
were divided into three categories depending on the motivation
for the activity: 1) Information processing, 2) entertainment
activities, and 3) social connection. Frequently, consumers
were looking for specific information, such as facts or
explanations for something. The findings indicate that user-
created services play an important role in conveying
experiences and peer-to-peer support. By sharing experiences
and knowledge, consumers are creating new forms of services,
which have an important task in guiding and directing decision
making. Below, the activities will be illustrated with quotes
from the narratives.
Five activities associated with information processing
emerged from the data. They represent different levels of
contribution to the content of the media, but they are mainly
consumption related (Table 1). The information was valued
for several reasons: accessibility, being real-time, variety of
viewpoints covered, and exclusivity. The drawback was the
trustworthiness of the information, and especially factual
information was often considered questionable. A major
information processing activity was the retrieval of product
information or content, such as solving problems with
product use or accessing content, such as music or other
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb
360 K. Heinonen
Table 1. Information processing activities
Dimension Description
Retrieving product Acquiring information about
information or content products or download content
Collecting factual Gathering information from more
information formal user-generated sources,
such as Wikipedia.
Sharing and accessing Sharing information and accessing
opinions, reviews shared knowledge online, such as
and rating opinions and comments
News surveillance Following current news from all
over the world
Applying knowledge Using knowledge for own benefits,
such as processing content or
exchanging products
software. Many respondents were looking for professionally
produced content that was posted on UGC sites, such as music
videos or episodes of popular TV shows. This kind of content
is often posted illegally, but it is highly appreciated by the users
because it often helps in saving money and time.
The UGC of this site works as a functional supplement/
substitute for watching the whole game on cable-TV or
at a sports bar. Someone compiles the highlights, posts
them wherever they like, and the site tracks them down
thus giving the consumer the option of choosing their
favorite source. Footytube might be the sole reason why
I wouldn’t buy cable TV, although I still might. (P)
My motivation to use YouTube was to get information
about a product, i.e. to see how it works, how it looks like,
what you can do with it and what the good versus bad
aspects of it are. (BE)
Another activity is the collection of factual information.
This was mainly related to utilitarian needs where users
gathered information from more structured user-generated
sources, such as Wikipedia.
I use Wikipedia to get information and I get what I am
searching for, but the entertainment level is quite low. (AI)
I used the site to collect information for my personal use.
(BC) MySpace
A third form of information processing is sharing infor-
mation and experiences, and accessing shared knowledge
online. Opposed to factual information that has lower trustwor-
thiness, opinions were considered to be reliable and value
adding.
It feels like a reliable way to get opinions of products.
The people who are writing at afterdawn don’t benefit
anything from advertising a certain product, which
means that they are going to tell the truth about what
they think about some certain product. (AA; technol-
ogy forum Afterdawn.com)
It changed my opinion of what hotel I should stay in
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
and will not visit the hotel the travel agency suggested.
(AC) (Tripadvisor)
In addition, news surveillance is a distinct social media
activity because the respondents frequently reported an urge
to keep themselves constantly updated. Respondents
typically explored several sites many times a day in order
to know what was happening.
Something happening right now on the other side of the
world can be seen immediately at YouTube. (AH)
It is very interesting to read what people think about the
contemporary occurrences. (D) (Online discussion forum
of a daily paper)
It is interesting to see what happens in the fashion world.
(L) (Fashion blog)
Information processing also concerned applying knowledge
from user-generated media for utilitarian purposes. This
activity often results in monetary benefits and economic gain.
This time, the Internet Movie Database helped me choose
between quite a few movies that I want to see. Although
I’m not entirely sure which one I’ll see yet, my choices
were narrowed down significantly. (AP)
Earn some money on selling items I don’t use/need (AR)
(online auction site)
Four entertainment activities emerged from the narratives
(Table 2). Respondents were looking for relaxation or escape.
Some sites, such as YouTube, were often used for taking a
break in studies or work.
The reason for visiting this site was that I wanted to relax
my mind by reading something “light”. (AW) (A fashion
blog)
I felt relaxed and amused and it offered a well-deserved
break from the work I was doing. (AS) (YouTube)
It is a good site where you can spend your extra time.
(AQ) FML
Entertainment search also comprised inspiration and
mood management motives. Finding new and interesting
information was also reported to have a positive effect on
Table 2. Entertainment activities
Dimension Description
Escaping the real world Relaxing or escaping for a while
and relaxing
Becoming inspired, Looking for inspiration and
mood management encouragement
Entertaining oneself Enjoying oneself online
Self-expression Self-articulation and self-promotion
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb

consumers’ mood. Many sites offered inspiration to the
consumers and encouraged them to do something in real life.
The food blog had an effect on me in a way that I got
more excited about making food and baking again. (AI)
food blog
My motivation for visiting this site was to be inspired and
updated on the newest trends and to possibly get ideas on
how to re-decorate my own apartment with simple tips.
(V) (Interior design blog)
Another entertainment activity was related to the act of
getting entertained by following other consumers’ discussions
and opinions.
It’s highly entertaining to watch people debate and express
their opinions. The fact that you can do this anonymously
makes it somewhat funnier when people say things more
straight up. (BC) (Online student discussion forum)
I think that it is entertaining to watch videos.(. . .) I can
spend many hours on youtube.com searching for old com-
mercials, funny cat videos, and music. (O) (YouTube)
In some cases, self-expression and managing one’s
self-image were mentioned. This included promoting an
individual persona or expressing one’s own beliefs.
Express (show) myself to my friends in the way that I
want to. (AR) (Facebook)
The six activities related to social connection are described
in Table 3. Social connection is mainly related to social
surveillance, i.e. users are interested in seeing what is
happening in their network of friends and acquaintances. Many
respondents visited specific sites that included content posted
by an acquaintance (e.g. a friend’s blog) or they just wanted
to know what people do.
Well, I found out stuff about my friends I would not
know without Facebook. (AE)
Certainly entertaining. Getting to know peoples’
thoughts. In the future, it will get more entertaining when
it gains wider popularity here and people you know are
involved. (AV) (Twitter)
Table 3. Social connection activities
Dimension Description
Social surveillance Learning about friends and
acquaintances
Collaborative experiencing Sharing and experiencing
with others
Belonging and bonding Connecting with people
Being up-to-date Knowing what is happening
in one’s own community
Staying in touch Keeping up relationships
within one’s own network
Social networking Creating and managing a
social network of friends
and acquaintances
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Consumer activity in social media 361
Social connection is also related to activities where
respondents can share different content with each other or
experience together something new or different. Respondents
occasionally reported that the user-generated information
influenced and changed their own opinions, e.g. after reading
Internet discussion board content.
You occasionally talk about what you have been watch-
ing on YouTube or show them new videos or advise
them to see something. (AE) (YouTube)
I watched some funny clips together with family and
friends. (AZ) (YouTube)
Further, social connection activities appeared to facilitate
a feeling of belonging and bonding to a specific social
environment and between members of a social group. Respon-
dents visited the UGC to learn what people are talking about
and to connect with members of their social context.
I get a feeling of belongingness when I can easily listen
to the same music as my friends are listening and talking
about. (AD) (MySpace)
My motivation was that many friends had Facebook
accounts, and I wanted to be a part of that as well. (E)
Social connection is also related to being up-to-date
concerning events and happenings in the social network
and participating in the events. This is one of the main
attractions of the social networking sites as well as blogs,
discussion forums, and video sites. Many respondents
reported that they were addicted to being up to date with
everything. Knowing things also gave them a feeling of
social advantage.
I wanted to see how my friends are doing and see if
something special had happened. (U) (Facebook)
I get at least 50% of all my invitations to different hap-
penings via Facebook. (BC)
I use it almost every day as sort of a calendar to stay up to
date and find out about what my friends are doing, but I
don’t participate and share stuff about myself more than
I find I have to. (AR) (Facebook)
Most importantly, social connection is related to users’
need to stay in touch with their friends and family. This
was particularly evident for social networking sites, but also
personal blogs and photo-sharing applications were used for
this purpose. UGC’s have a great influence on peoples’
social life as some sites, such as Facebook, make it easy for
people to manage their contacts with other people. Becoming
more social was reported by most respondents.
Because when you have a lot of friends and people you
know, Facebook is an easy and a cheap way to stay up
to date with their lives and to stay in contact. (AI)
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb
362 K. Heinonen
I wouldn’t stay in touch with as many friends as I am
now. (M) (Facebook)
Another main social connection activity was related to
social networking, i.e. creating and managing a network. This
activity differs from merely staying in touch, as social network-
ing means gathering and managing a network of friends.
From the beginning, I started using it because “every-
body else had Facebook”, but after a while, I noticed that
I actually like it. Thanks to Facebook, I have more con-
tact with friends living in other cities/countries than I nor-
mally would. As weird as it may sound, Facebook has
made me more social! (V)
It is useful because it saves time. I have sort of collected
all my friends at one place and it is an easy and fast way
to share my life with them on Facebook. (O)
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
The study extends existing research on consumers’ use of
user-created content by describing in more detail differences
in consumer activities related to social media. Focusing on
activities rather than only on motivations or gratifications
made it possible to increase the understanding of why
consumers are interested in social media. In other words,
the concepts of use and gratification (e.g. Stafford et al.
2004; Park et al., 2009) were developed in more depth by
identifying several activities related to each gratification.
Second, the combination of the several categories of
consumer input and motivations enabled a deeper
understanding of activities performed using social media.
The categories of consumption, participation, and production
highlight different levels of contribution but do not detail
further the characteristics of the different activities. The
inclusion of motivation thus provides a more detailed picture
of the activities performed. Also, in contrast to Shao’s
categories (2009), our framework suggests that the activities
of consumption, participation, and production are not only re-
lated to certain motivations but that the activities are based on
several motivations. This finding suggests that the classic notion
of individuals as mere consumers is outdated and that consu-
mers should also be seen as active producers of business value.
The suggested framework for identifying consumers’
social media activities also contributes to the management
of social media. Companies are challenged by the input of
individuals traditionally seen as consumers or customers.
The study indicates that the role of user-generated content
in directing consumer behavior reduces the influence of
traditional marketing communications. Rather than relying
solely on marketing communication, companies should try
to participate more in their customers’ social media activities,
in order to understand the impact of these on their brand
image and also to facilitate interaction with potential
customers. The proposed conceptual framework can be used
not only to identify possible strategies and but also to create
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
company responses that support consumers’ social media
activities (Figure 3). The following strategies can be used
to increase social media engagement, improve product
awareness, or induce cocreation of production information.
Consumption activities represented the main area of
consumer input in social media and strategies in this area
are associated with facilitating the consumption. In the lower
left-hand corner of Figure 3, the focus is on the consumption
of information. Companies can offer different information
and facts to be accessed by anyone, in order to attract users
and direct the usage towards a higher extent of contribution.
This is the current strategy for example of numerous
magazines and newspapers that offer parts of the online
content for free in order to interest users, thus hoping to
encourage them to participate in the discussions and debates
on the topics and perhaps generate new insights and contents
for the company to utilize. Another strategy related to the
consumption of information is to link the company and/or
its offerings to current happenings and real-time information
and thus increase interest in the company, e.g. InterNavi’s
automotive navigation and information system. Another
way to create awareness and interest in the company is by
linking up with lead users functioning as consumer advocates
through their personal blogs. Numerous consumer goods
companies are using this strategy by offering products to
popular bloggers, hoping that they will lead users; that after
acceptance, they will speak positively about the product.
Another strategic area has to do with the consumption
activities related to social connection. This is one of the most
important areas as it involves the highest number of potential
users. Here, the goal is to enable interaction with and arousing
interest in the company. This can be done by initiating
discussions about different daily topics and by encouraging
consumers to pose questions and share experiences.
Obviously, much of the consumption related to social connec-
tion is invisible to companies, as it occurs on private social
networks. However, by inviting consumers to participate on
companies’ Facebook accounts or YouTube videos companies
can attract consumers that will at least potentially receive the
communication from the company positively. This is a popular
strategy in most major consumer goods companies.
Figure 3. Companies’ possible strategies based on consumers’
social media activities.
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb

Strategies related to consumption activities with entertain-
ment motives are aimed at increasing the entertainment factor
of companies, mainly by creating games and online content.
These games and content must be easy to use, preferably free
of charge, and entertaining in order to appeal to different
users. The entertainment can also be linked with the social
connection motivation by involving a multiplayer possibility.
Strategies encouraging individuals’ participation in social
media can also be connected to the three usage motives (sum-
marized in the middle column of Figure 3). Participation activ-
ities related to information motives mostly concern sharing
knowledge and insight, and the company’s goals entail enabling
involvement and sharing by consumers. Here, one strategy can
be to facilitate real-time reviews and product tests by inviting
consumers to share their opinions, possibly offering some kind
of carrot, e.g. prizes or coupons. Companies can also go beyond
informing about the technical details of an offering by identify-
ing the use of the product by a specific group and then clarifying
this to other users. Connecting the offering to the individuals’
daily lives in this way can promote the company and its image.
Another strategic area is related to individuals’ participa-
tion activities based on social connection motives. This
involves a stronger support of interactions between indivi-
duals. Increasing the consumption associated with social
connection is not only a question of attracting fans to a com-
pany Facebook account for informational purposes. Instead,
it is important to get individuals to share their thoughts and
interact with each other. This goal is related to the feeling
of belonging and community sense making. The Harley
Davidson online community is a good example of this type
of community bonding, where users are connecting with and
supporting each other. Another strategy is to demystify the
company image by showing its human involvement. This can
be done by inviting company employees to share their thoughts
and experience and inviting consumers to respond to these
thoughts, as was done with Best Buy’s Blue Shirt Nation or
IBM’s Innovation Jam. Also, in addition to having employees
sharing their knowledge, best practices, and funny stories indi-
vidual consumer experiences could also be included.
Companies can also strategically use participation activities
related to entertainment motives. Encouraging consumers to
create tools that can enhance individuals’ creativity in daily
practices can efficiently increase participation. This includes
all content where users are sharing their experiences and
activities of how to do something, such as Howcast.com,
wikihow.com, or howstuffworks.com. This strategy provides
both entertainment and usefulness. Companies can also
encourage playfulness linked with different life themes, where
individuals can comment and share their experience and
funny incidents, similar to the collection of peoples’ real life
funniest stories (www.funniest-stories.blogspot.com). Another
example is the product tests of BlendTech’s CEO based on
consumers’ ideas and challenges. These tests are placed on
both the company website and on YouTube, attracting a high
number of both consumers and participants.
Strategies related to individuals’ production activities are
the most challenging ones as the consumer input is here the
largest. Thus, it is difficult for companies to control the
direction and quality of the input. However, successfully
Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Consumer activity in social media 363
engaging individuals’ in production activities can result in
new insights about consumers and can reduce costs related
to research and development. No informational production
activities were identified in the empirical study; however,
strategies in this area can be suggested. Companies can
encourage the creation of tools facilitating daily activities.
This is linked with the participation activities based on
entertainment motives, where the goal for companies is to
encourage the production of such content. This can be done
by encouraging ideas on content related to company offerings
or by inviting individuals to invent and produce such content in
a contest. In this way, companies can get new ideas for
offerings or improvement of offerings. Alternatively, compa-
nies can directly invite individuals’ to develop new offerings
on their website or sites, such as CrowdSpirit or InnoCentive.
Another strategic area has to do with the production
activities based on social connection motives. Here, the
company’s role is to support individuals’ social networking
by enabling new connections. For example, the company can
encourage individuals with the same mindset to team up in
collaborative projects. Teams are given a variety of tasks
related to specific life themes, which they should solve by
using company offerings. This is can be done in applications,
such as Second life or real life. As a result, companies can gain
insights about their potential markets, the use of their offerings,
and also how to engage new customers. Another strategy,
which is even more knowledge-based, is to use insights from
the social networks and discussions in order to adapt current
offerings and to encourage customers to improve the offerings.
The production activities associated with entertainment
motives represent the final strategic area. Here, the goal is
to connect and engage individuals in real-time games, in
order to increase their motivation to produce content. This does
not necessarily mean that every company should create their
own games, but it means being present at existing platforms
and engaging in more real-time interaction with the users.
FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
This study has used an exploratory approach and has opened
up several agendas for future research. By identifying
different user-created services described by users, the study is
a first attempt to examine services based on users’ actual prac-
tices. In order to generate a variety of activities, we included
different types of social media. However, in the analysis, we
did not specifically emphasize the differences between the
types and the activities related to each type. Therefore, future
studies need to distinguish and describe the differences of the
activities in the various categories of user-generated content.
One limitation of the study was the large number of con-
sumption and participation activities emerging from the data
compared to the number of production activities. However, this
finding supports previous research arguing that only a minority
of web users are active contributors (Courtois et al., 2009).
However, in order to understand contribution activities in
depth, future research needs to investigate the behavior of
those active and engaged consumers that deliberately create
online content. The assumption here is that companies want
J. Consumer Behav. 10: 356–364 (2011)
DOI: 10.1002/cb
364 K. Heinonen
actively contributing consumers, but further research is needed
to understand the implications of each activity in order to iden-
tify what types of activities are needed or wanted. Some activ-
ities may influence the company image and brand positively
whereas other consumer activities are perhaps not favorable.
Future research should also develop the design of empir-
ical studies and the methods to understand the use of social
media. In the present study, personal diaries based on a
multimethod approach were used in order to solicit both
narratives and quantitative information about individuals’
social media use. The drawback of the current data was
the fact that the respondents’ were asked to reflect upon
their activities after engaging in the activity. New methods
should be developed that are real-time and unobtrusive but
still offer the benefits of deep ethnographical insights into
consumer activities. Another limitation is the sampling and
data collection. Using student sampling was justified con-
sidering the goal to collect data concerning different social
media environments. Recruiting respondents from one or a
few online communities would give another perspective
on the social media activities, for example, related to specific
characteristics of that particular community. Further research is
needed to explore the differences between social media users
and social media environments.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The use of social media is increasing exponentially, and this
produces enormous challenges for both academic research
and business practice. Consumer research is faced with the
need to develop conceptual ideas of social media behavior
complemented with empirical findings from the consumer
perspective. Highlighting both conceptual and empirical
issues, this paper demonstrates how important it is for compa-
nies to understand their role in the emerging media dominated
by users. Instead of focusing on technology applications or
push-marketing, social media strategies should adopt a
consumer-dominant mindset by starting from the consumers’
perspective on activities and practices in social media.
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