In this thesis, we present a qualitative exploration of how video bloggers (vloggers) achieve
audience engagement in their vlogging. Engagement is a crucial factor for developing
relationships between content providers and consumers, and for the quality of consumers’
experience with media products such as online videos. Previous research in marketing and
media studies suggests that achieving engagement with their audience is significant for the
success of vloggers’ careers, such as obtaining large fan bases on YouTube and other
social media sites. However, how vloggers achieve engagement is rarely explored, and their
audience engagement has rarely been clearly defined.
We view vlog audience engagement as having two facets: consumer engagement and
media engagement. This thesis applies theories of both customer and media engagement to
the exploration of vlog consumption. By investigating three factors of vlogs — content,
context, and presence — we address the question of how vloggers achieve audience
engagement. We argue these three elements to be key to constructing audience
engagement. We employ a case study research with a qualitative content analysis method
applied to video samples from four well-known YouTube vloggers.
Our results suggest that vlog audience engagement can be addressed through both
customer and media engagement theories, which can help to account for vlogger-audience
relationships beyond video consumption and audience experience during video viewing. To
obtain consumer engagement, vloggers can use interaction, self-presentation, information
management, and rewards in their vlog content. Vloggers’ execution of these engagement
factors in their content can also be conditioned by the vlogging context, namely the context
of vlogger, audience, physical environment, social environment, and medium. Furthermore,
sensory and social elements may evoke aspects of presence to contribute to media
engagement. Sensory elements are colour, camera usage, image quality, and audio quality;
social elements are the vlogger’s eye contact, facial expressions, conversations and
gestures.
By applying both customer and media engagement theories to explore vlog audience
engagement, this thesis bridges gaps regarding the application of engagement theories
explicitly to vlogging. It indicates that vlogs are a useful medium to encourage audience
engagement both inside and beyond vlog consumption. Our results suggest that customer
engagement factors can be added to vlog content to encourage vlogger-audience
connections beyond video consumption. We also indicate that context can influence the
production of related customer engagement factors in vlog content. Using presence
determinants in video production may affect vlog viewers’ direct consumption experience for
media engagement.
This thesis provides a way to substantially understand vlog audience engagement by
considering both viewers’ video consumption experiences and the building of vlogger-audience
relationships. The thesis also offers new directions for researchers to explore
audience experience with vloggers from an engagement perspective through vlog content,
context, and presence. Furthermore, our results could also be developed into practical
guides in the future for new or existing vloggers to build and maintain connections with their
audience and improve the latter’s video consumption experience
