Exploring how language drives engagement: an analysis of social media engagement on Facebook and Instagram in wine tourism destinations

Social media is a dominant channel through which businesses communicate with customers today, including in the wine tourism industry. However, winery owners and staff often lack the expertise or time necessary to use social media effectively. While we know that consumer engagement increases with images and video, less is generally known about language variables and consumer engagement rate. Additionally, few studies have compared engagement rates across social media platforms. We used Pennebaker’s LIWC across two studies to explore the language variables that increase consumer social media engagement on both Instagram and Facebook. We also examined the engagement rates during multiple time periods (pre-Covid and post-Covid). The results have implications for marketing managers and wineries looking to engage their consumers through these social platforms.