Effects of Pre-Purchase Search Motivation on User Attitudes toward Online Social Network Advertising: A Case of University Students
Imran A Mir
Keywords:
Pre-purchase search motivation, SNSs, SNA, attitude, ad-clicking behavior
Abstract:
Since last few years, social media have profoundly changed the ways of social and business
communication. Particularly, social network sites (SNSs) have rapidly grown in popularity and
number of users globally. They have become the main place for social interaction, discussion and
communication. Today, businesses of various types use SNSs for commercial communication.
Banner advertising is one of the common methods of commercial communication on SNSs.
Advertising is a key source of revenue for many SNSs firms such as Facebook. In fact, the existence
of many SNSs owners and advertisers is contingent upon the success of social network
advertising (SNA). Users demand free SNS services which makes SNA crucial for SNSs firms.
SNA can be effective only if it is aligned with user motivations. Marketing literature identifies
pre-purchase search as a primary consumer motivation for using media. The current study aims
to identify the effects of pre-purchase search motivation (PSM) on user attitudes toward SNA.
It also assesses the association between the attitudes toward SNA and users’ banner ad-clicking
behavior on SNSs. Data was gathered from 200 university students in Islamabad using offline
survey. Results show positive effects of PSM on user attitudes toward SNA. They also show positive
association between user attitudes toward SNA and their SNS banner ad-clicking behavior.
The firms which promote their products through SNSs to the young South Asian consumers
may benefit from the findings of the current study.
Fulltext download:
 Effects of Pre-Purchase Search Motivation on User Attitudes toward Online Social Network Advertising: A Case of University Students [PDF file] [Filesize: 953.58 KB]
 10.7441/joc.2014.02.04
Imran A. M. (2014). Effects of Pre-Purchase Search Motivation on User Attitudes toward Online Social Network Advertising: A Case of University Students. Journal of Competitiveness, 6 (2), 42-55 https://doi.org/10.7441/joc.2014.02.04
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