Engagement of the e-commerce industry in the US, according to Twitter in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic

Heliyon. 2023 Jul 7;9(7):e16881. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16881. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Abstract

E-commerce and the use of social media, particularly Twitter, both grew rapidly during the COVID-19 period. Companies may significantly benefit from social media management, which highlights the significance of responsible consumerism highlighted in SDG 12. This study analyzed the relationship of the level of engagement of leading US e-commerce companies according to their position in the financial market through the use of Twitter. The methodology was a quantitative and longitudinal approach, analyzing statistically (through statistical analysis to descriptive statistics, multiple and simple regressions). The 22,400 tweets during 2020, to estimate their engagement. The results showed that the level of engagement on Twitter is not directly related to the financial ranking, neither to its sales nor to the share price. The main contribution lies in the contribution to the literature, to guide academics, managers and CEOs of companies in efficient decision-making in their business strategies in the areas of marketing with the use of Twitter, where companies can boost loyalty, engagement and sales of their users.

Keywords: Business practices; Engagement; Social networks; Twitter; e-commerces.

Publication types

  • Review