The identification and composition of social media post characteristics for optimal stakeholder engagement of participation sports events

Abstract

Having a presence on social media is an integral part of how sports event organisations engage their stakeholders. While engagement from stakeholders is the desired outcome, there is little research about the characteristics of social media posts that motivate stakeholder engagement. The primary objective of the study was to determine the composition of social media posting characteristics that lead to higher stakeholder engagement. The focus was to identify social media post characteristics using the social media platform Facebook, that lead to higher stakeholder engagement in the recurring participation sports event industry. A cross-sectional quantitative content analysis was conducted on 3 841 social media Facebook posts of 13 international marathon and ultramarathon sports events between 12 August 2019 and 30 November 2020. Chi- Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) was used to categorise social media posts according to their engagement levels. The results demonstrate that social media posts of sports events have varying effects on the level of engagement. A total of 17 variables were found to be statistically significant: The time of day, the month of the year, day of the week, level of interactivity, vividness level, tagging people or organisations, the number of hashtags, post length, links, photos, videos, content type (social, promotional, informational and entertainment), call-to-action phrases, and virtual race references all significantly influenced the sports events’ stakeholder engagement rate. The findings indicate that the best social media post composition for engagement is for sporting event organisers to post in the evenings, using external links, the month before and during the actual or virtual event; however, results and compositions vary depending on the Facebook audience size. This research builds on previous research assessing Facebook in the recurring participative sports event industry and is among the first to focus on social media posting compositions, based on the interaction between post characteristics and audience engagement rates, using a CHAID decision tree methodology. By clarifying the characteristics of social media posts that engage their stakeholders, sports event organisers can more effectively manage their Facebook platform as a stakeholder engagement channel, and their stakeholder engagement policies.

Om ’n teenwoordigheid op sosiale media te hê, is ’n ingrale deel van hoe sportbyeenkomste-organisasies hulle belanghebbers betrek. Hoewel die betrokkenheid van belanghebbers die verlangde uitkoms is, is min navorsing gedoen oor die eienskappe van sosialemediaplasings wat belanghebberbetrokkenheid sal motiveer. Die primêre doelwit van die studie was om die samestelling van sosialemediaplasings te bepaal wat tot groter belanghebberbetrokkenheid sal lei. Die fokus was om mediaplasingseienskappe te identifiseer deur die sosialemedialplatform, Facebook, te gebruik wat lei tot groter belanghebberbetrokkenheid by die herhalende- deelnemendesportsbyeenkomstebedryf. ’n Deursnee- kwantitatiewe inhoudsontleding is gedoen op 3 841 sosialemedia-Facebook-plasings van 13 internasionale marathon- en ultramarathonsportbyeenkomste tussen 12 Augustus 2019 en 30 November 2020. Chi-kwadraat-outomatiese-interaksie-opsporing (CHAID) is gebruik om sosialemediaplasings volgens hulle betrokkenheidsvlakke te kategoriseer. Die resultate dui daarop dat sosialemediaplasings van sportsbyeenkomste uiteenlopende uitwerkings op die betrokkenheidsvlak het. ’n Totaal van 17 veranderlikes is gevind wat statisties betekenisvol is: die tyd van die dag, die maand van die jaar, die dag van die week, die vlak van interaktiwiteit, die duidelikheidsvlak, om mense of organisasies te merk, die aantal hutswoorde, die lengte van die plasing, skakels, foto’s, videos, die soort inhoud (sosiaal, promosie, inligting en vermaak), die oproep-tot-aksiefrases en virtuele wedloopverwysings – hierdie veranderlikes het almal ’n beduidende invloed op die sportsbyeenkomste se belanghebberbetrokkenheidskoers. Die bevindings dui daarop dat die beste samestellings van sosialemediaplasings om betrokkenheid te bevorder is as die organiseerders van sportbyeenkomste die plasings in die aande doen, eksterne skakels gebruik, dit plaas die maand voor en gedurende die werklike of viruele byeenkoms – die resultate en samestellings wissel egter afhangende van die grootte van die Facebook-gehoor. Hierdie navorsing bou voort op vorige navorsing wat Facebook geassesseer het met betrekking tot die herhalende- deelnemendesportbyeenkomsbedryf en is van die eerstes om op sosialemediaplasingsamestelling te fokus, gebaseer op die interaksie tussen plasingseienskappe en gehoorbetrokkenheidskoerse, deur die CHAID-beslissingsboommetodologie te gebruik. Deur die eienskappe van sosialemediaplasings wat hulle belanghebbers betrek uit te klaar, kan sportbyeenkomsorganiseerders hulle Facebook-platform as ’n belanghebber-betrokkenheidskanaal, asook hulle belanghebber-betrokkenheidsbeleide, doeltreffender bestuur.

Ukubakhona kwi-social media kuyingxenye yokuthi izinhlangano zemisebenzi yemidlalo ixhumana kanjani nababambiqhaza. Ngisho noma ukuxhumana nababambiqhaza kuwumphumela ofiswayo, kunocwaningo oluncane olwenziwe ngezinhlobo zama-post e-social media ezigqugquzela ukuhlangana nokuxhumana nababambiqhaza. Injongo enkulu yocwaningo bekuwukobona ukuhleleka kwama-post e-social media abangela ukuzibandakanya kakhulu kwababambiqhaza. Bekugxila kakhulu kwizinhlobo zama-post e-social media, ngokusebenzisa amaplatfomu e-social meda iFacebook, okuholela ekuzibandakanyeni kwababambiqhaza ekubambeni iqhaza kwimboni yezemidlalo. Kwenziwe uhlaziyo lwe-cross-sectional content analysis kuma-post e-social media Facebook angu 3 841 e-international marathon angu 13 kanye ne-ultramarathon sports event, phakathi komhla ka 12 August 2019 no 30 Novemba 2020. Kusetshenziswe i-Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) ukuhlela ama-post e-social media ngononina ngokulandela amaleveli okuxhumana kwawo. Imiphumela ibonise ukuthi ama-post e-social media events anemiphumela enomehluko kwileveli yokuxhumana. Kutholakala ama-variable angu 17 ephelele ukuba nokubaluleka ngokwamastatistiki: Isikhathi sosuku, inyanga yonyaka, usuku lweviki, ileveli yokuxhumana, i-vividness level, kanye ne-tagging yabantu noma izinhlangano, inani lama-hashtag, ubude bama-post, ama-link, izithombe, amavidiyo, inhlobo yengqikithi (ezokuhlalisana kwabantu, ezokukhangisa, ezolwazi nezokuzijabulisa), i-call-to-action phrases, kanye nama-virtual reference konke kubonise ngokubalulekile umthelela wakho kwizehlakalo zemidlalo, kanye nezinga lokuxhumana kwababambiqhaza. Okutholakele kukhombise ama-post e-social media angcono ngokubumbeka ukuxhumana kubagqugquzeli bezehlakalo zemidlalo kuma-post akusihlwa, ngokusebenzisa ama-link angaphandle, inyanga ngaphambi nangesikhathi sesehlakalo sangempela noma se-virtual; kodwa, imiphumela kanye nama-composition kuyehluka kuncike ngosayizi we-audience ye-Facebook. Lolu cwaningo lwakhela phezu kocwaningo lwesikhathi esedlule olwaluhlola i-Facebook ekuzibandakanyeni kwizehlakako zemidlalo kwimboni kanti lungolunye lokuqala ukugxila kwi-social media posting composition, ngokukulandela ukuxhumana phakathi kwe-post characterisation kanye nezinga lokuxhumana kwe-audience, ngokusebenzisa i-CHAID decision tree methodology. Ngokucacisa ama-characteristic e-social media post axhumana nababambiqhaza, abagqugquzeli bezehlakalo zemihlalo bangakwazi ukulawula kahle amaplatfomu eFacebook njengeshaneli yokuxhumana kwababambiqhaza kanye nemigomo yokuxhumana.