This article investigates the effects of beauty vloggers’ (video bloggers) eWOM and sponsored advertising on followers utilizing Sina Weibo, thereby exploring the concepts of eWOM, opinion leadership, and social status. This exploratory qualitative study found that vlogging differs from traditional blogging in that direct advertising that fosters ease of purchase of a product is appreciated by followers, whilst direct marketing, which in this case refers to simply describing the benefits of products and/or services, is seen as unfavorable. Moreover, this research found a relationship between the influence of vloggers, expertise of followers, the level of detail in adverts, and the level of trust. This provides valuable insights into attitudes and perceptions of followers of beauty vlogs, which can utilized as practical implications to develop targeted advertising strategies for companies seeking to promote their products and brands through third party vlogs.

In today’s Internet society, consumers value the opinion of other consumers, and regularly seek feedback on products and services prior to making purchase decisions. This consumer-to-consumer communication (C2C) commonly occurs online, and is referred to as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). One popular source of eWOM is online product reviews. The current research investigates the determinants of consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews. Results indicate that perceived value and credibility of online product reviews positively impact consumer attitudes towards online product reviews. More specifically, consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews positively influence their reliance on said reviews prior to product purchase. Additionally consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews are positively determined by their perceptions of the credibility of online product reviews and the value of those reviews. However, the perceived value of online product reviews have a greater impact on online review attitudes than does perceived credibility of online product reviews. Further, men and women exhibit differences in their attitudes and reliance regarding online product reviews.

This research article investigates the way eWOM in social media influences the formation of destination image through development of trust and satisfaction for the potential tourist. The research involved administering an 18-point questionnaire taking online reviews, tourist involvement, and eWOM, destination image components of trust and satisfaction as variables. Data was collected from 554 individuals forming a cross-section of social media users and analyzed using multi-variate techniques (Reliability, CFA, and SEM). Results indicate a positive and significant relationship between all except online review and destination trust and satisfaction. Indirect and direct effects indicate that eWOM fully mediates the relationship between destination satisfaction and involvement and partially mediates the relationship between destination trust and involvement. In the case of online reviews, eWOM acts as a full mediator between destination trust and destination satisfaction for the future traveler using social media. The study proposes that components of image vary depending upon the degree of involvement, volume online reviews and eWOM generated also termed as ‘virality’ and these in turn influence the intention to revisit or recommend a destination. The study highlights its utility for National Tourist Organizations (NTOs) and online travel intermediaries to enhance destination marketing efforts.