An Investigation of the Factors Driving Users to Engage with the Social Networking Site Facebook

Purpose – Facebook is the most used Social Networking Site in the world. In this study, the researcher investigates the factors that motivate individuals to keep using Facebook throughout the years and compare if any of these drivers indicate different levels of commitment: brand engagement, brand loyalty and brand love towards the SNS. Design / Methodology / Approach – The approach to this research was qualitative and the results were the product of in-depth interviews with Facebook users who provided the information needed to achieve the research objectives. Findings – The findings of this study indicates that Facebook usage is motivated by the needs of: Social interaction, the need to belong and utility value. The indicators of brand commitment revealed were: time spent, brand trust, good perceptions of brand image and emotional attachment by the participants to Facebook. Originality / Value – This paper is the first of its kind that evaluates three concepts in the area of brand commitment, using a qualitative approach in order to propose a link between Facebook usage and the concepts of engagement, brand loyalty and brand love. The results of this research may provide important information on what motives can be considered when measuring loyalty towards SNS