The Impact of eWOM in Social Media on Consumer Purchase Decisions: A Comparative Study between Romanian and Bosnian Consumers

Abstract

Marketers define their social media platform as an essential piece to reach their consumers. The flock of web users turning to social media to receive and convey their thoughts, opinions, and suggestions has made social media an integral part of digital marketing. Using traditional media to advertise had restrictions in placement and outcome while, nowadays, social media has liberated this obstacle. It has created a platform which allows information to spread freely and at a fast pace. Using electronic word-of-mouth in social media permits a constant connection to a vast audience. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of electronic word-of-mouth within the context of social media on consumer purchase decisions. More precisely, how the familiarity of the Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) source, the way of communication, writer’s expertise and the popularity of a product affects the consumer's purchase decision. The data has been gathered using quantitative research method. The sample consists of students studying in Sarajevo and Timisoara. Having sample from two different countries would be good base for comparative analysis. The survey for data analysis was emailed to students’ email addresses. The results of the analysis will provide a comparison between the universities and the level of impact eWOM in social media has on their purchase decisions.

Keywords

• electronic word-of-mouth
• social media
• digital marketing
• purchase decision