Corporate Size Matters: How Message Attributes in Corporate Social Media Affect Customers Perception

Abstract

Social media are receiving the spotlight from firms as a cost-effective tool to build their brand image and to enrich customer relationships. This calls for more attention on developing a model that measures the impact of message attributes in corporate social media. Our objective is to develop a model to measure the impact of message attributes in social media (interactivity, formality, and immediacy) on consumers’ following and purchase intent. Results based on a structural equation model provide managerial implications by explaining the circumstances under which social media communication is more effective.

Keywords: social media, Twitter, interactivity, formality, immediacy, following intent, purchase intent, structural equation model