Title: Conceptualising cues in social media

Authors: Shasha Teng; Kok Wei Khong

Addresses: Taylor's Business School, Taylor's University, Lakeside Campus, 1 Jalan Taylor's, 47500 Subang Jaya, Malaysia ' Nottingham University Business School, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract: Marketers utilise cues to improve the effectiveness of advertising. This study attempts to classify the central arguments and peripheral cues in social media communications using the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Central arguments encompassed argument quality, source credibility, prior knowledge and others. Peripheral cues included source attractiveness, endorsement, source expertise, reputation, source credibility, argument quantity, moods, price and so on. This study contributed to ELM cues studies by classifying central arguments and peripheral cues and introducing multiple possibilities of a mixture of cue utilisation. Classification and analysis of cue utilisation provided a better understanding of applying cues in marketing in the social media platforms. In saturated markets, this study guides practitioners to apply suitable cues in order to enhance competitive advantage for success. Marketers are advised to utilise the findings of the study to create suitable mixtures of cues in social media platforms.

Keywords: elaboration likelihood model; ELM; central cues; peripheral cues; social media; advertising effectiveness; marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2015.071488

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2015 Vol.9 No.3, pp.233 - 253

Received: 24 Oct 2014
Accepted: 26 Apr 2015

Published online: 30 Aug 2015 *

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