April 24, 2023

By Erin Willis, University of Colorado-Boulder; Erin Schauster, University of Colorado-Boulder; Maria Len-Rios, University of Georgia;  and Marjorie Delbaere, University of Saskatchewan

Social media influencers are gaining in popularity and in influence. Patient influence is a strategic practice used by pharmaceutical marketers to engage directly with consumers. It reflects the patient-centered approach to healthcare… More

October 20, 2022

The phrase “misinformation on social media,” unfortunately, has become quite common and outright mundane in modern times.

As we all know, with unlimited posts and threads running in all directions simultaneously, there are limitless possibilities for all the directions, angles, and paths that the countless lines of communication can take. And of course, once all that occurs, it… More

September 21, 2022

By Zhixin (Giselle) Pu and Mike Schmierbach, Penn State University

Social media have become common sources for daily news consumption, and the issue of sustainable credibility and utility for social media has been brought into focus. Previous research tells us that being transparent about algorithms is one solution to improve social media sustainability. It clarifies the responsibility… More

August 27, 2021

By Sarah Maben and Chris Gearhart, Tarleton State University

Truly listening to stakeholders in social media, and not just surveilling them for marketing preferences and trends, requires proof of listening. That means putting listening into action through a response such as a like, reply, favorite, heart, gif, or emoji.

Social media opened organizations up to two-way communication… More

June 16, 2021

By Hao Xu, Jisu Huh, and Hyejoon Rim, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

In today’s increasingly polarized political environment, a growing number of companies are taking a stance on controversial sociopolitical topics or public policy issues that their stakeholders care about. This includes issues like same-sex marriage, gun control, racial equality, immigration and transgender bathroom policies.

Companies, however,… More

March 18, 2021

By Yen-I Lee, Washington State University; Xuerong Lu, University of Georgia; and
Yan Jin, University of Georgia

Narratives, as powerful approaches to storytelling, have exerted strong influences in driving public discourse about social issues. Various stakeholders, either directly experiencing an event or observing how the event evolves, are able to create their own narratives and contribute to… More