Purpose: More and more marketers use social media platforms to create and spread information called Marketer Generated Content (MGC) to inform consumers of products. MGC often embeds product purchase links, thus directing consumers to online distribution channels for online purchases. This study examined the effect of social media MGC on consumers’ willingness to buy online in the anchor of consumers’ perspective to answer the question of “how social media generated content support corporate online distribution”. Research design, data, and methodology: According to the means-end-chain theory, we introduce perceived value and continuous following intention as chain mediators to explain the mechanism of MGC influence on consumers’ online purchase intention and consider product type to discuss boundary conditions. Two experiments were designed to test hypothesizes. Results and Conclusion: First, emotional MGC (vs. informational MGC) has lower (higher) perceived utility (hedonic) value. Second, perceived value has a significant mediate role in the effect of MGC on continuous following intention. Third, perceived value and continuous following intention significantly and sequentially mediated the effect of MGC on online purchase intention. Through the sequential mediations of perceived utility value and continuous following intention, Informational MGC of search products significantly increase online purchase intentions. Another parallel sequential mediation, including perceived hedonic, emotional MGC of experience products, partially enhanced online purchase intentions. Finally, this study gives implications for how corporates can use social media MGC to promote product sales online.
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review and Hypotheses Development
3. Study 1
4. Study 2
5. General Discussion