Consumer Activities and Reactions to Social Network Marketing

The purpose of this paper is to understand consumer behavioral models with respect to their reactions to social network marketing. Theoretical background was focused on online and social network usage, motivations and behavior. The research goal is to explore consumer reactions to the exposure of social network marketing based on the following criteria: level of brand engagement, WOM referral behavior, and purchase intentions. Consumers are investigated on the basis of their attitudes toward social network marketing and basic socio-demographic covariates using data from a sample size of 700 Bulgarian respondents (age group 21-54 years, Internet users, urban inhabitants). Factor and cluster analyses are applied. It was found that consumers are willing to receive information about brands and companies through social networks. They like to talk in social networks about these brands and companies and to share information as well (factor 2, brand engagement). Internet users are willing to share information received through social network advertising (factor 1, WOM refferal behavior) but they would not buy a certain brand as a result of brand communication activities in social networks (factor 3, purchase intention). Several practical implications regarding marketing activities through social networks are drawn.