Ewom

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to prioritize the factors affecting consumer-buying behavior in online social media marketing.Method: The analysis and validation of indicators were conducted using the mixed method of structural equation modeling and partial least squares. Additionally, the IPMA matrix was utilized to determine the importance and type of performance of each factor. The research data were influenced by consumer information, predominantly consisting of women with a master's degree aged between 36 and 50 years. The study employed a non-probability sampling method common for online surveys, and 466 individuals were examined using Cohen's effect size formula.Findings: The research findings indicated that consumer engagement was the most important factor, and ease of use exhibited the highest level of performance in the overall social media model. Furthermore, consumer engagement was identified as the most important factor, while electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) demonstrated the highest performance level on Instagram. Conversely, EWOM was deemed the most important factor, with consumer engagement displaying the highest performance level on Telegram. These results can be utilized by marketers to influence consumer purchasing behavior and craft online marketing strategies accordingly.Conclusion: Companies utilizing online social media platforms are advised to enhance consumer engagement and performance by implementing short-term techniques and effective strategies, such as incorporating online chat functionalities in the user environment. Instagram, being the most widely used social media platform and an online shopping hub for consumers, showcased acceptable performance in terms of consumer engagement. Hence, companies need to take measures to elevate performance levels to match their importance. In the case of Telegram, EWOM emerged as the most crucial factor among others, with a commendable performance rating. Businesses can bolster their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) units and enhance WOM initiatives to the fullest extent possible.

Background: Social identity theory suggests that individuals define themselves partly through their membership in social groups, and these identities shape attitudes and behaviors, including consumption choices. Brands increasingly function as social symbols, allowing users to express group belonging, self-concept, and shared values through brand affiliation. Consequently, users’ social identities can significantly influence their intention to purchase a brand by strengthening emotional attachment, perceived congruence, and loyalty toward brands that represent their in-group. Aims: Consumers like to associate themselves with different brands to represent their social identity. This study suggests a social identity perspective of customer-brand relationship and integrates brand identity with social media usage, electronic WOM (eWOM) and brand loyalty in predicting brand purchase intention in an online environment. Methodology: Data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of higher education students in a public university in Iran. A sample of 423 respondents was selected through a convenience sampling technique. Data were then analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to provide a prediction-oriented model assessment by LISREL 8.54. Sobel mediation tests were performed to test the mediating effects of social media use, eWOM and brand loyalty on the relationship between social identity and brand purchase intention. Findings: The findings indicated that social identity (affective, cognitive, and evaluative) of users/consumers has a significant impact on: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty. Social media use and brand loyalty were found to be the determinants of eWOM about brand. Finally, this research found that all three variables of: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty are the main determinants of intention to purchase a certain brand. Conclusion: This research suggests that social identity perspective can be integrated with other perspectives to model the consumer's psychological path to brand purchase intentions. This study confirms the critical role of social identification of users in the reaction towards a given brand and stresses the mediation effects of social media use, brand loyalty and eWOM on the effects of social identity on the path to brand purchase intention.