The influence of Electronic Word of Mouth in social media on consumers’ purchasing intentions in Jordan

Abstract

The emergence of Social Media has provided an electronic word of mouth (eWOM) with a new perspective by allowing users to share their opinions and experiences about products or services with familiar people who they know already such as acquaintances and friends. This new way of eWOM is likely to have a more massive consumer impact. In the Middle East counties, minimal studies have determined what makes particular online reviews to have more impact than others. This study aims to explore the determinants of eWOM information on social media which influence the purchasing intentions of consumers in Jordan. For exploring these determinants, the information acceptance model (IACM) which developed by Ismail Erkan (2016) was adopted and used in this research.The data has been gathered using a questionnaire and was checked and analysed by using both SPSS and Smart PLS Software. The sample consists of 300 social media (Facebook) users in Jordan. Facebook was chosen because it is the most social media platform frequently used in Jordan. The data analysis results provided that information quality, attitude towards information and need of information affect significantly information usefulness, which affects information adoption significantly. However, there is no relationship between information credibility and information usefulness. An information adoption and attitude towards information were found to effect consumers’ purchasing intentions. In terms of practicality, this study helps marketers for understanding eWOM dynamics on social media platforms and consequently developing better strategies of marketing.