Social media strategy for online service brands

Research on service brands' participation in online activities has focused largely on Internet-enabled transactions and functional interactions between the firm and the customer. Most research discussing social media for online services position it as an extension of offline customer service activities and secondary in marketing importance to branded websites. This research explores the role of social media for online service brands rather as a set of online communication channels that enable the development and nurturing of brand-consumer relationships and trust, particularly relevant for high-involvement services dealing with private consumer information. Social media are further treated as a strategic means of mitigating consumer perceptions of risk of high-involvement online services, particularly those transitioning from offline to online environments. To conclude, a prescriptive managerial process for the development, management and measurement of online service brand and customer relationship management strategies on social media is proposed.