‘I am my business’: Solo entrepreneurs’ self-presentation on social media

Abstract

Abstract Recent digital developments provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs to market and present themselves. For solo entrepreneurs, where the business and entrepreneur coincide, self-presentation strategies on social media may be particularly relevant. Using regression analysis, we investigate the personal and business-related characteristics of solo entrepreneurs who typically rely heavily on social media for self-presentation. Data are used from a unique survey conducted among solo entrepreneurs in Austria. At the conceptual level, the impression management theory of Goffman from the 1950s creates the theoretical background, and our paper links three fields of research: social media use, impression management, and aspects relating to solo self-employment. The empirical analysis reveals that the typical solo entrepreneur who attaches great importance to social media use for self-presentation purposes is a female entrepreneur running a young business (younger than 5 years) in the retail industry, with good mental health but relatively poor financial health.

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