Effect of Social Media in B2b Marketing: Invertigation of Ewom Effect in Oil and Gas Sector in Qatar
The radical growth of the internet is a factor affecting different sectors of the business environment, including changes in the marketing sector. The importance of social media communications in the marketing environment cannot go unnoticed. An important element of social media communication greatly influencing marketing is electronic word of mouth (eWOM) - involving consumer to consumer communication about products and brands- which influences consumer purchase decisions. Nevertheless, research on the importance of eWOM in the marketing of oil and gas is limited. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of social media in business to business (B2B) marketing through an investigation of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in the oil and gas sector in Qatar. Possible solutions to the negative effects of eWOM will also be determined. Keywords: social media, eWOM, oil and gas, B2B