The role of smartphone-based social media capabilities in building social capital, trust, and credibility to engage consumers in eWOM: a social presence theory perspective

Smartphone-based social media has established itself a key platform for users to cultivate intimate social connections and exchange brand-related information, regardless of time or location, such as eWOM. However, understanding the essential elements of these platforms that facilitate relationships and engagement remains limited. Drawing from social presence theory, this study proposes a model suggesting that interactivity and media richness amplify social presence, fostering a sense of psychological closeness among consumers. This, in turn, cultivates trust and social capital - both bonding and bridging. Furthermore, enhancing the perceived credibility enables users to actively participate in eWOM. Through a survey of 407 smartphone-based social media users in emerging economies, SEM via AMOS was employed for analysis. Findings confirm that interactivity and media richness increase social presence, leading to increased trust, social capital, and perceived credibility, thus promoting engagement in eWOM. Discussions, implications, and avenues for future research are elaborated upon in the study's concluding section.