Social Network Advertising: An Investigation of Its Impact on Consumer Behaviour

The rise of Social Networking Services (SNSs) has not only transformed people as well as consumer behavior on the Internet, but also transformed the means by which various enterprises globally conduct their promotional and marketing campaigns. There are a variety of means by which enterprises have launched their marketing campaigns on Social Networking Services, and one of the most common techniques adopted is through extensive advertising campaigns on SNSs. This study seeks to examine consumer behaviors towards advertisements on Social Networking Services. Key factors affecting consumer behaviors include usage pattern, the credibility of a particular Social Networking Service as well as electronic word-of-mouth. This clearly illustrates that in today’s virtual electronic world, social media have progressed from being merely a place to meet people, to being a virtual sales floor. It is unexpected that consumer behaviors are influenced by the electronic word-of-mouth of friends rather than that of strangers.