The Effectiveness of Social Media Marketing: The Impact of Facebook Status Updates on a Campus Recreation Event

Abstract

Social media marketing, including the use of Facebook, is becoming a prevalent part of the promotional marketing mix by recreation and sport organizations. While use of Facebook as a marketing tool is common, empirical evidence of its use is lacking. This study examined the effectiveness of social media marketing on college students in a campus recreation setting. Specifically, the effectiveness of Facebook status messages were assessed via a 2 × 2 repeated factorial within-subjects design to determine their influence on awareness of, interest in, and intention to participate in a campus recreation special event. Participants were assigned to experimental ( n = 26) or control ( n = 29) groups. ANCOVAs revealed significant differences in awareness based on the treatment, but not in interest or intention. Findings suggest that social media marketing was effective in increasing awareness, and the study served as an empirical foundation for future research.