Title of Paper

What makes social media branding more effective in shaping pre-visit image: Information quality or source credibility？

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Xinyue Li is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Zhejiang University. Her research concentration is B&B marketing and tourist behavior.

Shihan (David) Ma is a doctoral supervisor in the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Zhejiang University. His research concentration is social network and massive media data analysis in tourism, regarding tourist perception, behavior, mobility pattern and destination marketing opportunities through big data mining.

Abstract (150 Words)

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

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What makes social media branding more effective in shaping pre-visit image: Information quality or source credibility？

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