Abstract: Social media branding is increasingly undertaken by small and individual accommodation businesses. Based on the heuristic-systematic model (HSM), this study investigates factors influencing the formation and development of pre-visit images for B&Bs. An experimental design is created for empirical evidence. Study 1 (n=451) features four types of online reviews and aims to test the respective and interactive effects of information quality and source credibility. Results show that information quality plays a more crucial role but source credibility can bias the influence of information quality in special cases. The findings also demonstrate the difference existing in varied genders and generations. Study 2 (n=204) further explores the influence of the four dimensions of information quality. This article extends previous research by investigating three types of effects of HSM in the B&B context and provides practical implications for marketers. Keywords: social media branding; pre-visit image; information quality; source credibility; heuristic-systematic model