The impact of social media on consumer behavior: The case of consumer-generated content on YouTube

Abstract

This research examines the mechanism through which YouTube-based consumer-generated content (CGC) shape consumers' CGC adoption and subsequent purchase intention. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, a causal model is developed to predict the impact of YouTube-based CGC attributes/cues (i.e., information quality, source credibility, and CGC credibility) on perceived usefulness, attitudes toward CGCs, CGC adoption, and, ultimately, purchase intention. A sample of 204 Vietnamese consumers is used to test the hypotheses. The results show that the central cue (i.e. information quality) and peripheral cues (i.e., source credibility and CGC credibility) can predict the changes in perceived usefulness and attitudes toward CGCs, which in turn have an impact on CGC adoption and ultimately the purchase intention of consumers. This study contributes to the CGC literature and the findings suggest that managers should pay attention to both the central and peripheral cues of YouTube-based CGCs to enhance the effectiveness of marketing strategies.