Abstract
Facebook being the most popular social media platform in India, its prevalence among consumers, brand companies, and their growth through e-commerce needs to be studied to prove if word-of-mouth interactions among friends on Facebook induce one to shop online. A sample of 395 Facebook users who also buy online was studied to understand the interactions among technology acceptance factors, knowledge sharing factors and social influence factors upon the attitude towards Facebook as a source for online buying and the intention to use Facebook as a means for online shopping using structural equation modelling. As for TAM Factors, perceived enjoyment had insignificant role in sharing information on products among Facebook friends, and other factors did not induce one to indulge in WOM sharing. Among the knowledge sharing factors, the reputation of the recommender of product information and expected reciprocal benefit among Facebook users had less significant effect only, whereas altruism towards fellow Facebook users, trust in recommendations, expected relationships had no direct influence upon the attitude towards Facebook as a source for online buying. Among the social influence factors, brand social network based word of mouth communication, perceived social acceptance among friends in Facebook, and group and community identification among Facebook members did not induce one to use Facebook as means for shopping online. Whereas the need for online social connection was partly responsible for the intention to use Facebook as a means for online shopping (?=0. 145) connotes that Facebook as a platform for keeping in touch with friends overrides the purpose of using Facebook as a means for product information sharing.
Highlights
Social networks have become increasingly popular among people who are active on the web as they made their way into mainstream society mainly due to the ability of the user to communicate in both real-time and asynchronously with a wide group of people of their choice
Among the knowledge sharing factors, the reputation of the recommender of product information and expected reciprocal benefit among Facebook users had less significant effect only, whereas altruism towards fellow Facebook users, trust in recommendations, expected relationships had no direct influence upon the attitude towards Facebook as a source for online buying
Whereas the need for online social connection was partly responsible for the intention to use Facebook as a means for online shopping (β=0. 145) connotes that Facebook as a platform for keeping in touch with friends overrides the purpose of using Facebook as a means for product information sharing
Summary
Social networks have become increasingly popular among people who are active on the web as they made their way into mainstream society mainly due to the ability of the user to communicate in both real-time and asynchronously with a wide group of people of their choice. Social networks change micro phenomena into a major sensation overnight by commoners who become influencers to several followers who trust them as valuable resources for information These groups can have a direct impact on the ability to integrate a brand’s marketing efforts around its prospects and customers online and building a strong fan base. Members in Facebook chat among their friends about a purchase, or a store or a promotional offer, or a proposed shopping list to share, comment, recommend, discourage, or discontinue These chat room sharing is useful to businesses which listen them to know the sentiments of the users. Looking into the popularity of Facebook among consumers, as among brand companies, the growth of e-commerce industry in India and their advertising spends in digital media, it is necessary to know if word-of-mouth interactions among friends on Facebook play any role in the growth of e-commerce vis-a-vis online shopping. The research findings would throw light on the prospects of Facebook brand page advertising being the most effective medium to get connected with its users
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