Friends with benefits Can firms benefit from consumers' sense of community in brand Facebook pages?

Purpose This two-country comparative study's purpose is to investigate antecedents to, and the consequences of a sense of belonging to a firm's Facebook community. Design/methodology/approach The model was grounded in the theory of sense of community and tested through structural equation modelling. Consumer panels were used via online surveys. Findings Of the three antecedents hypothesised to influence an individual's sense of belonging, enjoyment is a very strong predictor in both countries; while the credibility of posts was also a significant predictor for Australia, but not for South Africa. The findings also show no direct relationship between a sense of belonging and continuing behaviour. However, for both countries, there is a strong relationship between a sense of belonging and the involvement with firm offerings in Facebook; and that involvement is significant for the intention to continue engaging with firms through this social media environment. Originality/value The model is developed from the theory of sense of belonging, thus providing a fresh perspective to this research context. Additionally, there is limited research into the psycho-social antecedents and the outcomes of consumers' sense of belonging to a firm's Facebook community.