The Influence on Cosmetics Purchase Intention of Electronic Word of Mouth on Instagram

Abstract This study analyzes the influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on Instagram on cosmetics purchase intention to identify whether eWOM credibility and quality directly and indirectly influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions, respectively. The hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model partial least squares (SEM-PLS) method based on online questionnaire data collected from 595 Instagram users. We find that eWOM credibility and quality and influence consumers’ attitudes toward eWOM and their cosmetics purchase intention. Moreover, involvement with cosmetics products can mediate the relationship between eWOM credibility, quality, and attitude. The results suggest that developing activities that stimulate eWOM about cosmetics on Instagram can create favorable attitudes and positively influence purchase intention. The findings can help companies and marketers use Instagram to advertise products by identifying the information needed to predict and understand consumer purchasing behavior.