Antecedents of consumer intention to follow and recommend an Instagram account

• Published in: Online information review Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 1046 - 1063
• Main Authors: Casaló, Luis V, Flavián, Carlos, Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 13.11.2017; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Balances (scales); Communities; Community Relations; Consumer behavior; Consumer Economics; Consumers; Creativity; Customer satisfaction; Influence; Information systems; Intention; Marketing; Participation; Peer Acceptance; Perceptions; Social networks; Social research; Technology Acceptance Model; User generated content; User satisfaction; Instagram; Usefulness; Following intention; Enjoyment; Brand communities; Recommendation intention
• ISSN: 1468-4527; 1468-4535
• DOI: 10.1108/OIR-09-2016-0253

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of consumers’ perceived enjoyment and usefulness on their intention to follow and recommend an official account of a brand community on Instagram through satisfaction, following a perception-evaluation-intention chain. Design/methodology/approach The present study suggests that both perceived enjoyment and usefulness have a positive influence on satisfaction, which in turn affects intended following and recommendation of an account on Instagram. Data are collected from 548 members of a fashion brand community official Instagram account. After the validation of measurement scales, the hypotheses are contrasted using a structural equation model. Findings Results show that both perceived enjoyment and usefulness have a positive effect on satisfaction with the Instagram account, which in turn positively affects the intention to follow and recommend the account. Specifically, satisfaction fully mediates the influence of perceptions on intentions, except for the influence of perceived usefulness on intended recommendation as these variables are also directly linked. Practical implications The findings help managers to understand consumers’ behavioral intentions on Instagram and note the relevant role of perceived enjoyment and usefulness in creating a satisfactory experience in this context. Originality/value Nowadays, brands and users are continuously joining Instagram and, as a result of its growing importance, there is a need to better understand consumer behavior in this context. This research analyses the antecedents of both the intention to follow and recommend an account on Instagram.