Graduation Year

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Mass Communications

Major Professor

Justin S. Brown, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Scott S. Liu, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Artemio Ramirez, Jr., Ph.D.

Keywords

social media posts, television, viewing loyalty, interactivity, openness, PSI

Abstract

Facebook boasts an audience approximately three times as large as the next most popular social media networks, so it comes as no surprise that brands are devoting substantial resources to engage with their fans on the world’s most widely used social networking site. Television shows are among those brands using Facebook as a platform to connect with consumers, and their potential for fan relationships is unique from those of other brands, but there are, as of yet, no published scholarly articles for driving Facebook fan engagement and loyalty for a television show. This mixed methods study uses an ethnographic content analysis of the Facebook fan page for the series Orange is the New Black in order to evaluate the engagement of various types of posts and compare that information with scholarly research and industry best practices in order to inform an online user survey. The survey of 452 adult fans of TV show Facebook pages revealed which types of posts most engage audiences in ways that fostered engagement, parasocial interaction, and ultimately, viewing loyalty.

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