The Impact of E-WOM by Influencers on Purchase Intention Amongst Millennials Consumers on Twitter

Abstract

The impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on consumers’ purchase intention has been known for a long time. However, the birth of social media networks such as Twitter has changed the way people exchange information regarding products, brands, and services. On Twitter, consumers share their opinions and recommendations without limitations; therefore, Twitter is likely to have more influence on consumers than other social media platforms. This research aims to examine the impact of e-WOM through Twitter influencers on consumers purchase intentions. In order to do that, a theoretical framework was developed by integrating the Information Adoption Model (IAM) with the related components of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). For the empirical study, a quantitative method was chosen in the form of questionnaire. Based on surveys of 320 Twitter millennial users, the collected data were analysed through correlation and regression analysis using SPSS 26 software. The outcomes reveal that the investigated qualities of influencers (i.e., credibility, quality, trustworthiness, expertise and the number of followers, usefulness of their information, and adoption of their information) are influential components of consumers' intentions to purchase. This study contributes to the e-WOM field because it provides directions for future research and research implications. Furthermore, this study presents a frame of reference for marketers, and it provides useful directions for them to build better and different strategies for their marketing plans on Twitter in the future.