Factors Influencing Social Media Engagement on TikTok: A Study of Global Smartphone Brands in Vietnam

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of content characteristics (including informational and emotional content), language, and nonverbal information on social media engagement (SME), as measured by likes, shares, and comments. The research findings provide recommendations to help brands determine which elements should be included into videos to enhance SME. The dataset consists of 584 observations collected from the TikTok accounts of global smartphone brands in Vietnam (Xiaomi, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, and Realme) during the period from June 2023 to May 2024. The study indicates that informational content generates higher SME compared to emotional content, particularly in terms of comments (β = 2.641, IRR = 8.850, 95% CI [2.156, 36.328]). Additionally, code-switching (a combination of Vietnamese and English) negatively affects SME, while non-verbal information has a positive impact on SME. However, neither factor moderates the relationship between content characteristics and SME