The effect of virtual identity on following of brand content: An investigation on brand following of online users

Identity is both a personal and a social concept that the individual has in different and various forms with the self-presentation she/he has made since the moment he socialized. The individual has different identities at different times and places in everyday life and makes self-presentations in these times and places in a way that fulfills the requirements of that identity. In this context, the concept of virtual identity refers to the identity that the individual has as a result of the self-presentation in the online environment. The development and use of the Internet and new communication technologies day by day increases the importance of virtual identity in the daily life of the individual. The individual is socializing with his virtual identity, which she/he has more control power than her/his offline identities with the advantages of the self-presentation provided by the online environment and technology. Thanks to the technological advantages provided by online marketing communication, brands that can interact with their target audiences like never before increasing the share of marketing communication budgets in digital channels every day. In these channels, brands, which aim to attract the attention of their target audience, give them an experience related to the product or service and realize their goals, produce content that will attract the attention of their target audience by using different tools. Individuals in the online world are also present in the digital story created by the brand by following the brand contents that attract their attention. The problematic of this master's thesis study was whether there is a relationship between virtual identity formation and brand content tracking. The main purpose of the research is to reveal whether the individual who exists in the online world with his virtual identities remains under the influence of the virtual identity she/he creates while following the brand contents. As a result of the survey conducted in this context, it was concluded that the formation of virtual identity affects brand content following and that users with different virtual identities follow the brand contents with different reasons and motivations.