Socializing or Information Seeking: Which Should Be Prioritized for Response in Live Streaming Messages?

Abstract

In the realm of live streaming, timely and thoughtful responses play a pivotal role in enhancing user experience – a critical factor in the successful commercialization of live streaming. However, the inundation of user messages during live streaming poses a challenge for a streamer, necessitating a strategic approach to selective response. To determine which messages should be given priority for a response, exploring the underlying heterogeneity in user messages is vital. User messages do not contain explicit attitudes for segmentation but contain underlying intentions that can be inferred. Thus, in this study, we first employ a BERT-based text classifier to categorize user messages into two types: ritual messages, indicating socializing intentions, and functional messages, indicating information-seeking intentions. Based on the intention heterogeneity, we then analyze the relationship between two message types and user experience in live streaming and observe that functional messages tend to suggest the dissatisfaction of users. We further explore the influence of streamer responses on user experience with live streaming. Empirical results demonstrate that responses specifically targeted at functional messages have a significant positive impact on user experience, with this effect being moderated by streamer characteristics: gender and historical experience. These findings offer valuable guidance for streamers in tailoring their online response strategies effectively, and contribute to the literature on live streaming, user engagement behavior, and online responses, presenting actionable insights for providers and platforms of online service.

Keywords

Live streaming / user engagement behavior / online response / user experience / intention heterogeneity

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