Analysis Social Media Based Brand Communities and Consumer Behavior: A Netnographic Approach

In today's highly competitive markets, business managers are always looking for new ways to increase awareness of their products and promote their brands. As such, they use a variety of marketing strategies to attract more customers. This study was implemented using a qualitative research method known as netnography in conjunction with MAXQDA data analysis software. Three smartphone brand communities were studied, and their popular brand pages (Samsung, Sony, and Huawei) were targeted on Instagram. This study consists of two parts. First, the researchers analyse the content of user comments to explore the consumer's brand attitude, purchase decision-making process, and consumer decision-making styles. In the second part, the content of posts of brands was coded in order to examine creative social media strategies used by these brands and measure their efficiency. Results offer valuable guidelines to brands with regards to consumer behaviour on social media.