Social media marketing adoption by agriculturists: A TAM based study

Abstract

Purpose : This research is intended to identify and analyse the underlying factors in the adoption of social media among agriculturists in South India.
 Theoretical Framework: Marketing through social media such as Whatsapp, Facebook and YouTube, particularly in India, is not well understood due to the lack of research in agricultural marketing. This paper bridges the research gap by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and TAM.
 Design/ Methodology/Approach: A structured questionnaire is adopted for data collection. Primary data was collected from 320 agriculturalists in Tamilnadu, South India.
 Findings: Multiple regression is used to test the significance of the research model. It demonstrates that the perceived credibility, reference group, infotainment, and perceived usefulness had a significant positive impact on the adoption of social media marketing. At the same time, perceived ease of use has a negative effect on attitude towards the adoption of social media marketing.
 Research, Practical & Social Implications: The implication drawn from this study helps the researchers and agriculturalists use social media to increase farm product marketability.
 Originality/ Value: This research adds value to the agricultural marketing literature by exploring the novel determinants of the adoption of social media.