Title: Impact of marketing channel caused by relationship marketing of online social network

Authors: Min Wang; Yijie Bian; Jiangao Deng; Hong Sheng; Juan Tao

Addresses: School of Business Administration, Hohai University, 200 North Jinling Road, Changzhou 213022, China ' Information Center, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China ' School of Business Administration, Hohai University, 200 North Jinling Road, Changzhou 213022, China ' Department of Marketing and E-Commerce, Yangzhou University, 196 West HuaYang Road, Yangzhou 225127, China ' International Business School Suzhou, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou 215123, China

Abstract: A large number of online social communities have been founded on the internet. Most people, in such online social communities, develop good relationships, believe in each other and share business experiences. Relationship marketing, based on online social network, becomes an important marketing channel. Based on the survey of customers of Changzhou Yuexing Furniture Global Harbor (CYFGH), the relationship between customer loyalty and relationship marketing are examined. The results show that, improvements of interaction frequency between suppliers and customers, as well as professional knowledge of suppliers, can advance relationship quality between suppliers and customers, which will enhance customer loyalty indirectly. In addition, the stronger customer feeling is, the better relationship quality will be. Once suppliers develop good relationship quality with their customers, customers will share their business experiences with others, and suppliers will not only retain existing customers, but also will obtain potential customers through online social communities.

Keywords: online social networks; relational marketing; relationship quality; customer loyalty; marketing channels; relationship marketing; online communities; web based communities; virtual communities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2016.079987

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2016 Vol.22 No.6, pp.348 - 364

Published online: 25 Oct 2016 *

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