How companies cultivate relationships with publics on social network sites: Evidence from China and the United States

This study advances our understanding of relationship cultivation on social media from a cross-cultural perspective. We examined how companies use popular social network sites (SNSs) to facilitate dialogues with publics in two culturally distinct countries: China and the United States. We employed a content analysis of 50 corporate pages with 500 corporate posts and 500 user posts from each country. Overall, companies in both countries have recognized the importance of SNSs in relationship development and employed the appropriate online strategies (disclosure, information dissemination, and interactivity and involvement), but the specific tactics vary across the two markets. Furthermore, cultural differences among the types of corporate posts and public posts on SNSs indicate that culture plays a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics in different countries. Implications for corporate relationship management practice in the global market in the digital era are discussed.

► We examined how companies use popular social network sites (SNSs) to cultivate relationships with publics in China and the United States. ► We content analyzed 50 corporate pages with 500 corporate posts and 500 user posts from each country. ► Companies in both countries have employed the appropriate online strategies, but the specific tactics vary. ► Culture plays a significant role in shaping the dialogue between organizations and publics on SNSs in different countries.