The Power of ´Like´ -- Interpreting Usage Behaviors in Company-Hosted Facebook Pages

Company-hosted Facebook pages have emerged as a commonly used marketing tool, but consumers´ underlying motivations for using these pages and their effect on members´ intentions to purchase the host company´s products are currently unclear. The present study examines consumers´ hedonic and utilitarian motivations for using company-hosted Facebook pages in relation to the community´s usage behavior (browsing vs. contribution), and the relationship between usage behavior and purchase intentions. Analysis of data collected from 1,161 members of a travel agency´s Facebook page reveals that hedonic motivations indicate a higher propensity to contribute to the community whereas utilitarian motivations relate more strongly to merely browsing the community page. With regards to purchase intentions, browsing relates more strongly to it than contributing. The findings offer insight into consumers´ behavior in brand communities and online brand community content management.