Viral marketing and purchase intentions of mobile applications users

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Hendijani Fard ◽  
Reza Marvi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Viral Marketing ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Argument Quality

Purpose In the preceding decades, due to the advancement of social media, traditional marketing has become less significant. Managers and entrepreneurs are seeking novel, effective and efficient ways both for new and technological products/services. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, information adoption model and technology acceptance model, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of viral marketing on purchase intentions of mobile applications users in Iran. Design/methodology/approach Statistical population includes those Iranian users who have used two social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Line, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Telegram, Twitter, Viber, WeChat and WhatsApp) at least. Invalid questionnaires are excluded and 624 are used for the data analysis. Structural equations modelling is used to test the proposed model. Findings The findings show that the most effective factor on apps perceived usefulness is argument quality of information, followed by source credibility and quantity of information. Perceived usefulness is also predicted by perceived ease of use through the indirect effect of argument quality. Furthermore, it is also found that purchase intention is affected by perceived ease of use, followed by perceived usefulness through attitude towards the purchase. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to the Iranian mobile apps market. Future studies on viral marketing in app markets should collect data from multiple industries and multiple countries in order to achieve a more comprehensive perspective on the effects and consequences of viral advertising. Furthermore, rather than social networks, similar research can be conducted on different communication channels of the internet such as blogs, e-mails, chat rooms, online communities, discussion boards, corporate websites, e-commerce and social commerce websites (e.g. Amazon). It is also suggested that the conceptual model of the research can be extended considering other useful factors on purchase intentions than attitude (e.g. subjective norms and perceived behavioural control). Furthermore, future research should consider the role of mobile apps features in forming purchase intentions. Practical implications For the firms that develop mobile applications (particularly in Iran’s app market), increasing sales requires exploiting social media viral marketing to effectively change potential customers’ perceptions about usefulness and ease of use of their products. The findings suggest that a viral marketing strategy should be developed with high argument quality, followed by high source credibility and a large amount of information on social media. Originality/value This is one of the earliest studies investigating the viral effects of social networks on purchase intention in the mobile applications context. Although very few papers practically recognised the impact of viral marketing on purchase intention, the effect of this concept on mobile applications purchase intention had remained unknown.

Private club members’ perceptions of social media

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
MiRan Kim ◽  
Ronald Cichy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Online Social Media ◽  
Usage Behavior ◽  
Perceived Enjoyment ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Purpose Private club members belong to an organization where people with common interests, experiences, backgrounds and professions meet for social and recreational purposes. This study aims to examine the relationships among private club members’ perceptions of social media regarding perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, attitude toward social media involvement and behavioral intention toward social media usage. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted among private club members across the USA (n = 571). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings of this study center on the perceptions of club members and their beliefs and attitudes associated with their social media usage behavior. This study extends the social media literature by supporting previous studies that suggest a causal flow from perceived ease of use to intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment) based on a motivational model. Research limitations/implications This study is meaningful for revealing the perceptions of private club members and their beliefs and attitudes associated with their social media usage behavior. It is untested whether this study’s model applies to other hospitality businesses. Future research could examine other segments and add other variables such as perceived security and trust. Practical implications This study can provide private club managers, and the members of the clubs that they lead, with a better understanding of online social media. Originality/value This study is one of a few empirical online social media studies in the area of the private club industry. This study seeks to provide baselines regarding social media perceptions and usage in the hospitality literature by providing a comprehensive model.

Consumer segments in the smart environmental objects market

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Schill ◽  
Delphine Godefroit-Winkel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Beliefs ◽  
Environmental Objects ◽  
Consumer Segment ◽  
Materialistic Values

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ profiles for and purchase intentions towards smart environmental objects. It segments consumers according to two apparently contradictory dimensions of smart environmental objects: environment (i.e. environmental concern and environmental beliefs) and technology (i.e. materialistic values and technological beliefs). Design/methodology/approach A cluster analysis was conducted among 658 French consumers based on their environmental concern, environmental beliefs, materialistic values, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. A regression analysis identifies the variables with the greatest influence on purchase intentions. Findings Four segments result from the analysis: unconcerned, retro eco-friendly, non-materialistic converted and converted. The converted consumer segment had the highest purchase intentions and exhibited high levels of both environmental beliefs and perceived usefulness compared with the other segments. Both environmental and technological beliefs and environmental concern influence purchase intentions more broadly. Research limitations/implications A combined consideration of both environmental and technological beliefs is necessary to influence purchase intentions towards smart environmental objects. This study challenges some previous research that assumes a clear opposition between materialism and environmentalism. Practical implications This study proposes tailored managerial recommendations for each of the four consumer segments in the context of smart environmental objects. Originality/value This study provides novel insights into consumers’ concerns, beliefs and values in the rapidly expanding context of smart environmental objects.

Factors influencing Generation Y’s tourism-related social media activity: the case of Polish students

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-558
Author(s):  
Joanna Kowalczyk-Anioł ◽  
Marek Nowacki
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to identify the factors which affect Generation Y’s activity in social media (SM) while traveling. It draws on and extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) and social influence theory. It examines the effects of social influence processes (compliance, identification and internalization), perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived risk, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on tourism-related SM activity. Design/methodology/approach The study tested the model with a sample of 420 Polish Y’s who had traveled in the preceding 12 months and used SM. The verification of the hypotheses and the analysis of relationships between the variables were performed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Out of the four variables of the TAM, only PE has significantly and directly affected Ys’ tourism-related activity in SM. From among the three processes of social influence, only internalization has had a significant impact on the enjoyment of SM use and, consequently, on the SM activity of Generation Y. Research limitations/implications This study covered only Polish Y’s. In the future, the formulated hypotheses should be verified in other generational cohorts, in sub-cohorts of Y’s and in other cultural contexts. Furthermore, limitations include lack of randomization of the survey distribution. Practical implications The presented results show a generational portrait of an increasingly important consumer group on the tourism market in relation to factors affecting their tourism-related activity in SM. Originality/value This is one of few studies (the first in the Central and Eastern Europe context) to examine Generation Y’s adoption of SM in tourism-related activity drawing on and extending the TAM and processes of social influence.

scholarly journals When does personalization work on social media? a posteriori segmentation of consumers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Serrano-Malebrán ◽  
Jorge Arenas-Gaitán
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Cognitive State ◽  
Mobile Social Networks ◽  
Fashion Products ◽  
Intention To Purchase ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractThe aim of this research is to find a segment of consumers of fashion products based on their personal visions of personalization of shoppable ads on mobile social media. To meet this objective, three operational objectives are defined. First, a theoretical model is evaluated based on the stimulus-organism-response framework (S–O–R). This examines, with a PLS-SEM approach, how the stimulation of personalization will affect consumers' internal cognitive state (perceived usefulness) and consequently generates a behavioral response (intention to buy). Second, we look for fashion consumer segments based on their perception of personalization through prediction-oriented segmentation (PLS-POS). Third, the segments are explained based on three constructs that were considered important in fashion consumption through mobile social networks: purchase intention, concern for privacy, and perception of trend. The inclusion of personalization and the perception of usefulness of advertisements can greatly help the intention to purchase clothing to be understood. The application of a posterior segmentation helps to better understand the different types of users exposed to shoppable ads on mobile social networks and their relationship with the purchase intention, concern for privacy and trend. While the measures and scales were tested in a context of mobile clothing trade, the methodology can be applied to other types of products or services.

Elements impacting the utilization expectation of various health-care apps in India: a study conducted on smartphone users

foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-400
Author(s):  
Debarun Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Behavior Intention ◽  
Health Care Applications ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to find out the impact of seven important factors towards behavior intention on various health-care applications in India. The spectacular rise of uses of smart phones in India has introduced various mobile applications in the market. The mobile applications have become very useful and popular amongst the urban consumers due to several reasons such as reducing time, effort, money, etc. Health-care applications which are used in various smart phones are still in an infancy stage in India. Health-care applications have several advantages and facilities and consumers receive few alerts or suggestions for free. Though the health-care applications have various benefits for everyone, still people are less aware of the services they provide. Fewer studies have been done on this particular subject, and people may find the apps interesting if they understand the benefits of these applications. Design/methodology/approach This study aims to find out the impact of seven factors towards behavior intention on various health-care applications in India. The 331 samples have been chosen with the help of a structured questionnaire. The researcher has used stratified random sampling to collect the data for conducting the study, and the samples have been collected from four metro cities of India, namely, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis have been conducted to find out the most influencing factor towards intention with SPSS v 21. Findings The result reveals that out of seven factors, perceived usefulness, enjoyment and time are the most influencing and significant factors towards utilization expectation. The other four variables, namely, cost, increased dependability, perceived ease of use and increased protection do not have a significant impact on the dependent variable. The paper has also revealed that marketers need to penetrate the market with some innovative marketing strategies. The findings of the study is providing the hint for implementing the strategies. Originality/value The study is unique in the context of a country like India where no such studies on this subject have been conducted before.

The Influence of Social Media on Young Consumers’ Purchase Intention During Global Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13
Author(s):  
Yeow Jian Ai ◽  
Cheah Chew Sze ◽  
Yeo Sook Fern ◽  
Cheang Yu Wan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Performance Expectancy ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Consumer Purchase Intention

The year 2020 was undoubtedly going down in history as one of the worst years ever due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many countries around the world were forced to impose a total lockdown, and this situation occurred again in early June 2021 in Malaysia. Many countries were in their 2nd wave or 3rd wave of lockdown, which caused several restrictions such as movement control, the limit of travel or inter-states. Many businesses were affected. Some big corporations were forced to shut down their productions, lay off, and causing huge numbers of unemployment in the country. There were several news reported that Malaysia’s retails faced bad financial losses and even wave a ‘white flag’ campaign to strike for help from the public. However, instead of begging for help, retailers or businesses should adapt to a new channel and accepting to a more sophisticated computerized operation and diversify into electronic (e-retails) or mobile retails (m-retails) via social media. This study aims to study the causes of young consumer purchase intention using social media during the global pandemic. There are five main variables being studied. The five factors, such as perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, performance expectancy, interactivity, and intention to express empathy, were selected and analyzed using SPSS Software. This study concluded that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and interactivity have a significant relationship with young consumer purchase intention using social media, while performance expectancy and intention to express empathy have not significant relationship with young consumer purchase intention. This study benefits newly operate SMEs or existing SMEs as they can provide better marketing through social media in order to sustain their businesses.

TAM Model Evidence for Online Social Commerce Purchase Intention

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-108
Author(s):  
Zhang Ying ◽  
Zeng Jianqiu ◽  
Umair Akram ◽  
Hassan Rasool
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Website Quality ◽  
Online Purchase ◽  
Tam Model

The aim of this research is to use the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to investigate the potential antecedents of online purchase intention in social commerce environments. Data were collected from 513 online survey participants in China. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques was used to test the study hypotheses. The findings reveal that website quality, trust, and electronic Word Of Mouth (eWOM) positively influence online purchase intentions. Furthermore, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness significantly and positively moderate the relationship between website quality and online purchase intention. These survey results help provide a more comprehensive understanding of online purchase intentions in social commerce in China. The findings and conclusion address notable implications for theory and managers.

The perceptions of SME retailers towards the usage of social media marketing amid COVID-19 crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Talha Salam ◽  
Hamza Imtiaz ◽  
Muhammad Burhan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose During the COVID-19 crisis, diversified attitudes and behaviors of structural equation modeling (SME) retailers were observed in using social media marketing that could have helped mitigate the adverse effects of this crisis on businesses. This paper aims to present a thorough investigation of these perceptions and limited acceptance of social media marketing among SME retailers in a developing country during a crisis. Design/methodology/approach The investigation was designed using a mixed-method design. A qualitative investigation, as the first part, explored SME retailers’ perceptions of the use of social media marketing when they were faced with mandatory lockdown that stifled their business activity. The insights from qualitative study and literature helped devise the second part of the study, a quantitative study using the technology acceptance model (TAM). Analysis of responses from a sample of SME retailers (n = 149) was done using SEM in this study. Findings In the qualitative study, SME retailers were found to have a varying outlook toward social media marketing. Some ventured into social media marketing while others were impeded by their limited understanding. The second (quantitative) study showed the general applicability of TAM such that perceived ease of use through perceived usefulness influenced SME retailers’ attitudes toward the usage of social media marketing during the COVID-19 crisis. An important finding in both studies was that business owners’ education level influenced their perceptions of social media marketing. Research limitations/implications The investigation, albeit a comprehensive one, was conducted in a particular market and for SME retailers. This opens avenues for conducting similar studies in other segments of entrepreneurs to generate insights based on comparative analysis across segments and scenarios. Originality/value Limited or no marketing in the physical marketplace amid lockdown meant almost an existential crisis for entrepreneurs, especially SME retailers, in developing countries during the COVID-19 crisis. While technology acceptance by SME retailers has been discussed in the literature, there are limited discourses on technology acceptance among entrepreneurs and SME retailers during a crisis. These findings from the COVID-19 crisis explicate the possibilities and limitations of technology usage as a means to mitigate challenges faced by entrepreneurs during a crisis.

Perceived value of social media in students’ participation in social movement

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 244-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shohana Akter ◽  
Md. Anwarul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Reform Movement ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tam Model ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the use of social media (SM) and its influence for increasing students’ participation in the quota reform movement at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach The revised technology acceptance model (TAM) was used to formulate this research’s hypotheses. A survey was administered to obtain data about students’ intention to use SM. The survey consisted of a set of questions based upon the revised TAM model. A total of 498 surveys were distributed and 304 students responded to it; hence, response rate was of 61.04%. A regression and single way ANOVA were conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that most of the students use SM for academic purposes and to get connected with friends. Among the social networking tools, Facebook is the most widely used by the respondents. Findings supported that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of SM affect student’s intention to increase participation in the quota reform movement. There were no significant relationships between gender and politics with the use of SM. Research limitations/implications A sample of students from Dhaka University was taken and the sample size was small. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized in other settings. SM has a positive effect in the societies where change happens through collective actions. Originality/value Why and how students use SM has been widely discussed over the available literature, but students’ intention to use for it for social movements has not been studied. This study has made an effort to empirically examine the use of SM in the context of the quota reform movement in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Using Facebook for travel decision-making: an international study of antecedents

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 1021-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Mariani ◽  
Maria Ek Styven ◽  
Julian K. Ayeh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Travel Decision

Purpose This paper aims to investigate antecedents of using non-travel-specific social media (specifically Facebook) for travel decision-making before a leisure trip. Design/methodology/approach Based on an online survey of 426 young travel consumers from Italy and Sweden, this work applies structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Findings The study finds support for most of the conventional TAM-related constructs: perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and intention, while ease of use is not found relevant in this context. Research limitations/implications Results shed light on the antecedents of using non-travel specific social media in two countries. Future research might focus on validating the factors identified and add others that might shape usage in the selected countries. Future studies could further investigate possible differences arising from culture, country of origin and age. The analysis can also be extended to other countries. Practical implications The analysis might help managers in the hospitality and tourism sector by providing an understanding of the cognitive factors which determine travelers’ decision to use Facebook for trip planning. Thus, managers should get to know these factors in their effort to influence social media in hospitality and tourism settings. Originality/value The findings offer interesting perspectives on the applicability of conventional models to the context of non-travel-specific social media platforms. The exploration of cross-cultural differences also adds to the extant body of knowledge.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document