Demystifying the Engagement Process: A BoP Perspective Toward Social Media Engagement

The presence of the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) segment on social media has increased considerably over the past few years. This vulnerable segment differs in the socio-economic status with idiosyncrasies; this study explores the mechanism and factors pertinent to social media engagement among Indian BoP users. The study uses a grounded theory approach employing 26 in-depth interviews. We found that social media engagement at the BoP level comprises of both positively and negatively valenced engagement. BoP users see social media as a resource, assess its complementarity with their abilities and establish the social relevance of the social media platform. On the other hand, the security perceptions and the restrictions of the BoP users affect the engagement. The study provides interesting insights into the BoP segment's differential social media behavior (vs. other segments) due to the vulnerability of this segment. These differences do not occur at a broader level but subtly underlying the social hierarchy and disadvantaged positions.