Social media or online shopping websites: Will/how platforms influence eWOM effectiveness

Abstract

This article investigates how the message topics of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) (feasibility vs. desirability) and platforms with varying psychological distances contribute to the eWOM effect. Within the framework of the construal level theory, we examine the moderating role of the platforms (social media vs. online shopping websites) on the suggested eWOM message → perceived credibility → perceived diagnosticity → eWOM effect relationship. The results from a randomized online experiment with a sample of 316 participants (Mean age = 29.44, SD = 8.94, Range = [18, 70], 219 females) reveal that for readers of eWOM on social media, feasibility-oriented eWOM has a greater effect than desirability-oriented eWOM; while for readers of eWOM on online shopping websites, there is no significant difference between the impacts of the two types of eWOM messages. These findings provide support for the moderating effect of platforms on this relationship. Specifically, the effect of feasibility-oriented eWOM is more pronounced for readers on social media compared to that on online shopping websites, whereas the effect of desirability-oriented eWOM is similar for readers on online shopping websites and social media. These findings have implications for marketing strategies involving eWOM and offer insights into the effects of platforms, construal level theory, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model of information adoption.