Social Media Engagement Scale

What it measures

Measures consumer engagement with brand-related social media content across three levels: passive consumption (reading/viewing), active contribution (liking, sharing, commenting), and content creation (creating original brand content). Based on the 6Cs model of social media engagement. Widely used in social media marketing research.

Response format

Likert (1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Consumption — passive engagement with brand content (Likert 1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

• I read/watch content about [brand] on social media.
• I view posts, photos, or videos about [brand] on social media.
• I follow [brand] on social media.
• I watch videos about [brand] online.

Contribution — reactive engagement with brand content

• I like/upvote [brand]-related content on social media.
• I comment on [brand]-related posts on social media.
• I share/retweet [brand]-related content on social media.
• I rate or review [brand] on social media platforms.

Creation — proactive creation of brand content

• I publish posts, photos, or videos about [brand] on social media.
• I write reviews or blogs about [brand] online.
• I create content that is inspired by [brand].
• I share my own experience with [brand] on social media.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Three subscale scores. Consumption scores are typically highest; creation scores are lowest (the participation inequality principle). Widely used alongside brand attitude and purchase intention measures in digital marketing research. Distinguish from customer engagement (broader concept including offline behaviour).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Schivinski, B., Christodoulides, G., & Dabrowski, D. (2016). Measuring consumers' engagement with brand-related social-media content. Journal of Marketing Management, 32(5–6), 579–603.

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