Organisationer använder sig ofta av flera olika sociala media för att nå ut till sina målgrupper, då en lyckad kommunikation har visat sig öka omsättningen (Okazaki,Katsukura och Nishiyama, 2007). Men det finns ännu ganska lite forskning om varför viss kommunikation lyckas nå ut med sitt budskap. Samtidigt söker allt fler organisationer svar på hur de ska göra för att kommunicera bättre och nå ut genom mediebruset. Annars riskerar de kommunikativa insatserna att falla platt, upplevas som intetsägande och sakna betydelse då de väcker minimalt med respons och engagemang hos målgruppen. Tidigare studier har funnit att Twitter och LinkedIn är två av de mest användbara sociala mediekanalerna för organisationer som vill kommunicera med sina målgrupper, mer specifikt potentiella samarbetspartners, potentiella anställda och konsumerande kunder. Därför menar vi att en studie av kommunikationen på LinkedIn via influencers är intressant ur ettMKV-perspektiv, då vi ämnar undersöka vilka kommunikationsfaktorer som påverkar engagemang i olika typer av inlägg på LinkedIn. Metod och material: För att besvara våra frågeställningar har vi använt oss av en kvantitativ innehållsanalys och en kvalitativ textanalys.Genom den kvantitativa metoden har vi analyserat 155 inlägg som publicerats av 16 influencers under en tvåveckors period. Vi har mätt engagemanget för alla inlägg genom att se till antalet kommentarer och reaktioner från andra användare på LinkedIn. I den kvalitativa metoden valde vi ut tre inlägg som vi utifrån resultatet i den kvantitativa delen såg hade högst genomsnitt kommentarer samt reaktioner. Vi valde att titta vidare på dessa tre inlägg för att identifiera det unika med kommunikationen i dem som gjorde att just dessa engagerade i högre utsträckning än andra inlägg. Huvudresultat: Utifrån vår studie har vi funnit att en kategori är vanligast förekommande som primär kommunikationskategori bland våra 16 influencers. Vi har även funnit att oavsett innehåll i inlägget finns det en primär kommunikationskategori som skapar mer engagemang i fråga om reaktioner samt att en annan kategori engagerar mer sett till viljan att kommentera. Att använda sig av visuellt intresseväckande innehåll ser vi också ökar engagemanget hos mottagarna jämfört med att inte använda sig av denna typ av innehåll. Vi finner också att för att bygga förtroende på LinkedIn kan det vara en god idé att använda sig av en kombination av flera av de marknadsföringsstrategier som vi presenterat i vår studie.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Major Professor Not Listed / Based on the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) approach and Parasocial Interaction (PSI) theory, this study examined how people use live streaming platforms in China. Uniquely, it sought to understand the effect of romantic relationships on how and why people watch Host Live Shows (HLSs) and explored the relationships between Chinese audiences and live- streamers. Through an online survey, four viewing motivations were identified: Community Building, Ego-boost, Escape, and Bandwagon. Ego-boost is a relatively new motivation of media use, which means audiences watch and interact with HLSs to get compliments, self-confidence, self- validation, and ego-boosts. This study found audiences’ perceived realism and PSI were both very neutral. However, emotion projection of audiences onto streamers was observed – most viewers highly agree that streamers are their friends. Moreover, this study found the quality of interpersonal communication is affecting audiences’ HLS dependence and the degree of PSI, while the quantity of interpersonal communication might not be – the more satisfied a person is about his/her interpersonal communication, the heavier he/she depends on HLSs and the stronger his/her PSI is. As expected, the degrees of both romantic relationship status and romantic relationship satisfaction influence people’s HLS use. While compared with females, males are affected by romantic relationships more, both the status and satisfaction level. Lastly, when it comes to people’s romantic lives and social lives, HLSs are more likely to be used as alternatives to meet their unsatisfied needs from their “real partners.”

This study examined the context of browsing behaviors. According to uses-and gratifications approach, the motives of World Wilde Web (mentioned as WWW later) generate the expectations of the WWW and the other sources, which lead to differential patterns of browsing behaviors. On-line focus groups were performed three times in December 1999 and January 2000. The criterion used when we choose the respondents of the focus group is that they should have experienced in Internet at least one year. The purpose of the focus groups is to explore the context of browsing. In addition, an on-line survey was undertaken on and . The session of is from March 25, 2000 to April 20, 2000, and the session of is from April 11, 2000 to April 12, 2000. The primary purpose of the survey was to test hypotheses related to browsing motives, browsing strategy motives, and browsing activities. This study found that surfers were segmented into four groups according to the motives of WWW: ritualistic dominant motives, instrumental dominant motives, high motives, and low motives. Besides, the motives of browsing strategies ere probed in this study. Six factors of the motives of browsing strategies were extracted: to increase data completeness, to help awareness of site options, to avoid site redundancy or information duplicate, job factor, no scare at the loss in cyberspace, and to kill time in a high-speed or favorable site. These factors co-operated with browsing skills explaining medium to low variance of the browsing behaviors.

This study examined the context of browsing behaviors. According to uses-and gratifications approach, the motives of World Wide Web (mentioned as WWW later) generate the expectations of the WWW and other sources, which lead to differential patterns of browsing behaviors. On-line facus groups were performed three times in Decemember 1999 and January 2000. The criterion used when we choose the respondents of the focus group is that they should have experienced in Internet at least one year. The purpose of the focus groups is to explore the context of browsing. In addition, an on-line survey was undertaken on http://www.k4.com.tw and http://www.moex.gov.tw. The session of http://www.k4.com.tw is from March 25, 2000 to April 20, 2000, and the session of http://www.moex.gov.tw is from April 11, 2000 to April 12, 2000. The primary purpose of the survey was to test hypotheses related to browsing motives, browsing strategy motives, and browsing activities. This study found that surfers were segmented into four groups accoring to the motives of WWW: ritualistic dominant motives, instrumental dominant motives, high motives, and low motives. Besides, the motives of browsing strategies were probed in this study. Six factors of the motives of browsing strategies were extracted: to increase data completeness, to help awareness of site options, to avoid site redundancy or information duplicate, job factor, no scare at the loss in cyberspace, and to kill time in a high-speed or favorable site. These factors co-operated with browsing skills explaining medium to low variance of the browsing behaviors.

Previous research has shown gender differences in the motivations to be physically active, in mobile phone gratifications, and social media usage, but so far these areas have not been studied together. Based on the uses and gratification approach and self-determination theory, we aimed to identify gender-specific gratifications and determinants of fitness app usage in combination with fitness-related Facebook groups. Results of an online survey (N = 171) and of a mobile experience sampling method (N = 31) revealed that the app Runtastic was primarily used for achieving goals and to improve enjoyment for physical activity, with men and older participants sharing results with others in Facebook groups more often than women and younger participants. Conclusions regarding genderspecific targeting strategies and user-centered design and content of mHealth features are presented.

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie ondersoek die behoeftes van Afrikaanse televisiekykers aan Afrikaanse televisieprogramme te midde van die veranderinge wat sedert demokratisering aan die Suid-Afrikaanse medialandskap plaasvind. Hierdie behoeftes word ondersoek by wyse van 'n gevallestudie ender graad 10-leerders in Pretoria. Die gebruike- en bevredigingsbenadering dien as teoretiese onderbou vir die studie en die invloed van 'n aantal veranderlikes word ondersoek. Hierdie veranderlikes is televisiegerig (inhoud, aanbod en struktuur van Afrikaanse programme), tegnologiegerig (nuwe mediategnologiee socs satelliettelevisie en die Internet) en kykergerig (sosio-kulturele, persoonlike en demografiese faktore). Die studie bevind dat daar 'n verband is tussen hierdie veranderlikes en respondente se behoeftes aan Afrikaanse televisieprogramme. Die studie bevind dat Afrikaanse programme nie respondente se behoeftes bevredig nie. Nuwe mediategnologiee verbreed respondente se sosio-kulturele horlE;onne sodat hulle gemaklik met programme in Engels omgaan. Te midde van die toenemende aanbod van oorsese programme in Engels, neem die behoefte aan Afrikaanse programme af. / This study investigates the need for Afrikaans television programmes among Afrikaans viewers in the changing media environment in South Africa. Needs are studied by means of a case study among grade 10 learners in Pretoria. The uses and gratifications approach serves as the theoretical framework of the study and a number of variables are investigated. These variables are television driven (supply, content and structure), technology driven (new media technologies such as satellite television and the Internet) and viewer driven (socio-cultural, personal and demographic factors). The study finds that there is a connection between these variables and the need for Afrikaans programmes among respondents. The supply, content and structure of Afrikaans programmes do not gratify respondents' needs. New media technologies broaden respondents' socio-cultural horizons, enabling them to comfortably watch English programmes. Amidst the increasing supply of overseas programmes in English, the need for Afrikaans programmes is diminishing / Communication Science / M. A. (Kommunikasiekunde)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie ondersoek die behoeftes van Afrikaanse televisiekykers aan Afrikaanse televisieprogramme te midde van die veranderinge wat sedert demokratisering aan die Suid-Afrikaanse medialandskap plaasvind. Hierdie behoeftes word ondersoek by wyse van 'n gevallestudie ender graad 10-leerders in Pretoria. Die gebruike- en bevredigingsbenadering dien as teoretiese onderbou vir die studie en die invloed van 'n aantal veranderlikes word ondersoek. Hierdie veranderlikes is televisiegerig (inhoud, aanbod en struktuur van Afrikaanse programme), tegnologiegerig (nuwe mediategnologiee socs satelliettelevisie en die Internet) en kykergerig (sosio-kulturele, persoonlike en demografiese faktore). Die studie bevind dat daar 'n verband is tussen hierdie veranderlikes en respondente se behoeftes aan Afrikaanse televisieprogramme. Die studie bevind dat Afrikaanse programme nie respondente se behoeftes bevredig nie. Nuwe mediategnologiee verbreed respondente se sosio-kulturele horlE;onne sodat hulle gemaklik met programme in Engels omgaan. Te midde van die toenemende aanbod van oorsese programme in Engels, neem die behoefte aan Afrikaanse programme af. / This study investigates the need for Afrikaans television programmes among Afrikaans viewers in the changing media environment in South Africa. Needs are studied by means of a case study among grade 10 learners in Pretoria. The uses and gratifications approach serves as the theoretical framework of the study and a number of variables are investigated. These variables are television driven (supply, content and structure), technology driven (new media technologies such as satellite television and the Internet) and viewer driven (socio-cultural, personal and demographic factors). The study finds that there is a connection between these variables and the need for Afrikaans programmes among respondents. The supply, content and structure of Afrikaans programmes do not gratify respondents' needs. New media technologies broaden respondents' socio-cultural horizons, enabling them to comfortably watch English programmes. Amidst the increasing supply of overseas programmes in English, the need for Afrikaans programmes is diminishing / Communication Science / M. A. (Kommunikasiekunde)