Uses and Gratification Theory proposes that individuals seek out specific media to fulfill certain needs. Understanding why users engage with different media platforms allows digital communication professionals to select the most effective channels and messages to promote. For example, a Facebook group was more successful than a page for sharing recipes and asking cooking questions as it better met users' needs for interaction and feedback from others in the community. Applying Uses and Gratification Theory helps professionals provide users with the information they desire, increasing user engagement over time.

1. Uses & Gratifications
Theory
What Every Digital Communication Professional Should Know

2. What is it?
• Uses & Gratification Theory is simply the
theory of why a person goes to a media outlet
to fulfill their needs.

3. Why does
it matter?
• If we as digital communication professionals
can understand why users seek out outlets, we
can better understand which outlets to use
and which messages to promote.

4. Example
• Facebook Communities
• One of my greatest successes on any social media
platform was on Facebook. I created a Facebook
group. Once it was created, people were added and
a few posts were shared—the page ran itself.
• Users shared reviews of recipes, swapped recipes
and asked questions.
• Users also engage more on the group than my
Facebook page.

5. Conclusion
When a professional can
understand Uses and
Gratifications Theory,
they’re going to be
successful.
They will understand why
a user connects with
certain media and what
type of information
they’re seeking.
If you give the user what
they’re looking for, they’ll
come back time and time
again.