TY  - JOUR
T1  - The influence of social media influencers on consumers’ decision making of restaurant choice
AU  - Dinc, Lokman
PY  - 2024
DA  - January
Y2  - 2023
DO  - 10.48119/toleho.1327974
JF  - Journal of Tourism Leisure and Hospitality
JO  - TOLEHO
PB  - Anadolu University
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 2687-3737
SP  - 115
EP  - 124
VL  - 5
IS  - 2
LA  - en
AB  - Purpose of the research: This research aims to examine the influence of social media influencers on consumer decision-making process in restaurant selection.Design/methodology/approach: This research employed questionnaire technique to collect primary data. Snowball sampling technique is employed. The customer journey theory is also adopted as a theoretical underpinning of the study to examine the influence of SMI trust on consumer decision-making of restaurant selection.  The research data was analysed using Smart PLS. Findings of the research: The results of the study showed that each steps of consumers decision-making of restaurant selection is positively correlated with trust in SMIs. According to the findings consumers showed tendency feeling desire to visit a restaurant that recommended by an SMIs and, search for information provided by influencers. There is also a significant correlation between trust and evaluating alternatives and buying decisions indicating that consumers are significantly influenced in pre-purchase stage. Significant association between SMI trust and satisfaction and experience sharing shows the significant effect of trust in the post-purchase. Originality/Value: Being one of the first attempts to investigate the influence of social media influencers’ trust on diners’ decisions to choose a restaurant employing customer journey theory. Also, this research makes a contribution to the consumer decision-making journey literature by investigating and providing evidence regarding each step of decision-making journey in the context of restaurant selection.
KW  - Social media;
KW  - Restaurant;
KW  - Restaurant choice;
KW  - Consumer behaviour;
KW  - Social media influencers
CR  - Agostino, D., Arnaboldi, M., & Calissano, A. (2019). How to quantify social media influencers: An empirical application at the Teatro alla Scala. Heliyon, 5 (5), e01677. In.
CR  - Aydın, B. (2016). Sosyal medyada restoran imajı: Tripadvisor örneği. Disiplinlerarası Akademik Turizm Dergisi, 1(1), 13-30.
CR  - Backaler, J., & Backaler, J. (2018). Then vs. now: Influencer marketing (re-) defined. Digital Influence: Unleash the Power of Influencer Marketing to Accelerate Your Global Business, 5-18.
CR  - Beeton, S. (2010). The advance of film tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 7(1), 1-6.
CR  - Bigne, E., Andreu, L., Perez, C., & Ruiz, C. (2020). Brand love is all around: loyalty behaviour, active and passive social media users. Current issues in Tourism, 23(13), 1613-1630.
CR  - Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods: Oxford university press.
CR  - Chatzigeorgiou, C. (2017). Modelling the impact of social media influencers on behavioural intentions of millennials: The case of tourism in rural areas in Greece. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing (JTHSM), 3(2), 25-29.
CR  - Chen, C.-H., Nguyen, B., Klaus, P. P., & Wu, M.-S. (2015). Exploring electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in the consumer purchase decision-making process: the case of online holidays–evidence from United Kingdom (UK) consumers. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(8), 953-970.
CR  - Christou, E. (2010). Relationship marketing practices for retention of corporate customers in hospitality contract catering. Tourism and hospitality management, 16(1), 1-10.
CR  - Christou, E., & Chatzigeorgiou, C. (2020). Adoption of social media as distribution channels in tourism marketing: A qualitative analysis of consumers’ experiences. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing (JTHSM), 6(1), 25-32.
CR  - Cohen, S. A., Prayag, G., & Moital, M. (2014). Consumer behaviour in tourism: Concepts, influences and opportunities. Current issues in Tourism, 17(10), 872-909.
CR  - Cornejo, A. (2017). Social media impact on consumer’s food choice. Dialog Marketing Competence Center. MSc. Thesis.
CR  - Cox, C., Burgess, S., Sellitto, C., & Buultjens, J. (2009). The role of user-generated content in tourists' travel planning behavior. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 18(8), 743-764.
CR  - Çakıcı, S., & Cankül, D. (2022). Restoran Tercihinde Sosyal Görünürlüğün Etkisi (The Effect of Social Visibility on Restaurant Choice). Journal of Tourism & Gastronomy Studies, 10(4), 3097-3122.
CR  - Dabija, D.-C., Bejan, B. M., & Tipi, N. (2018). Generation X versus millennials communication behaviour on social media when purchasing food versus tourist services. E+ M Ekonomie a Management, 21(1), 191-205.
CR  - De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: the impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798-828.
CR  - Dedeoğlu, B. B., Taheri, B., Okumus, F., & Gannon, M. (2020). Understanding the importance that consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS): Scale development and validation. Tourism management, 76, 103954.
CR  - Dinc, L. (2023). An investigation of organic dining behaviour in restaurants at three selected cities in the UK: a holistic approach. University of Plymouth,
CR  - Dinc, L., & Huang, R. (2022). Organic Dining Experience. In Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing (pp. 393-395): Edward Elgar Publishing.
CR  - Dixon, S. (2023). Number of global social network users 2017-2027. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/. from Statistica https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
CR  - Ekincek, S., & Önçel, S. (2017). Sosyal medyadaki restoran tüketici yorumlarının değerlendirilmesi: Foursquare örneği.
CR  - Ert, E., & Fleischer, A. (2019). The evolution of trust in Airbnb: A case of home rental. Annals of Tourism Research, 75, 279-287.
CR  - Fleming-Milici, F., & Harris, J. L. (2020). Adolescents’ engagement with unhealthy food and beverage brands on social media. Appetite, 146, 104501.
CR  - Fotis, J., Buhalis, D., & Rossides, N. (2012). Social media use and impact during the holiday travel planning process. In Information and communication technologies in tourism 2012 (pp. 13-24): Springer.
CR  - Gaenssle, S., & Budzinski, O. (2021). Stars in social media: New light through old windows? Journal of Media Business Studies, 18(2), 79-105.
CR  - Goldsmith, R. E., Lafferty, B. A., & Newell, S. J. (2000). The impact of corporate credibility and celebrity credibility on consumer reaction to advertisements and brands. Journal of Advertising, 29(3), 43-54.
CR  - Guerreiro, C., Viegas, M., & Guerreiro, M. (2019). Social networks and digital influencers: Their role in customer decision journey in tourism. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 7(3), 240-260.
CR  - Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing theory and Practice, 19(2), 139-152.
CR  - Hair Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2014a). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage publications.
CR  - Hair Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2016). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): Sage publications.
CR  - Hays, S., Page, S. J., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations. Current issues in Tourism, 16(3), 211-239.
CR  - Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. In New challenges to international marketing (pp. 277-319): Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
CR  - Hu, L., & Olivieri, M. (2021). Social media management in the traveller's customer journey: an analysis of the hospitality sector. Current issues in Tourism, 24(12), 1768-1779.
CR  - Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021a). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. Social Media Influencers in Strategic Communication, 24-67.
CR  - Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021b). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 327-375.
CR  - Hudson, S., & Thal, K. (2013). The impact of social media on the consumer decision process: Implications for tourism marketing. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), 156-160.
CR  - Hwang, J., & Park, S. (2015). Social media on smartphones for restaurant decision-making process. Paper presented at the Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2015: Proceedings of the International Conference in Lugano, Switzerland, February 3-6, 2015.
CR  - Jalilvand, M. R. (2017). Word-of-mouth vs. mass media: Their contributions to destination image formation. Anatolia, 28(2), 151-162.
CR  - Kang, M., & Schuett, M. A. (2013). Determinants of sharing travel experiences in social media. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), 93-107.
CR  - Kaygısız, E., & Buyruk, L. (2022). Restoranların markalaşma sürecinde sosyal medya kullanımının yeri ve önemi: Restoran yöneticilerine yönelik araştırma. Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversitesi.
CR  - Kim, Y., Rahman, I., & Bernard, S. (2020). Comparing online reviews of hyper-local restaurants using deductive content analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 86, 102445.
CR  - Konstantopoulou, A., Rizomyliotis, I., Konstantoulaki, K., & Badahdah, R. (2019). Improving SMEs’ competitiveness with the use of Instagram influencer advertising and eWOM. International journal of organizational analysis, 27(2), 308-321.
CR  - Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. M. (2017). Principles of marketing (17th ed.): Pearson Education India.
CR  - Kumar, J., Konar, R., & Balasubramanian, K. (2020). The impact of Social Media on Consumers’ purchasing behaviour in Malaysian Restaurants. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, 8(3), 197-216.
CR  - Lee, S., Scott, D., & Kim, H. (2008). Celebrity fan involvement and destination perceptions. Annals of Tourism Research, 35(3), 809-832.
CR  - Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69-96.
CR  - Li, W., & Darban, A. (2012). The impact of online social networks on consumers' purchasing decision: The study of food retailers. In.
CR  - Lien, C. H., & Cao, Y. (2014). Examining WeChat users’ motivations, trust, attitudes, and positive word-of-mouth: Evidence from China. Computers in Human Behavior, 41, 104-111.
CR  - Lima, M. M. d., Mainardes, E., & Cavalcanti, A. L. (2019). Influence of social media on restaurant consumers: A case study of Crab island restaurant. Journal of foodservice business research, 22(5), 413-432.
CR  - Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58-73.
CR  - Luo, Q., & Zhong, D. (2015). Using social network analysis to explain communication characteristics of travel-related electronic word-of-mouth on social networking sites. Tourism management, 46, 274-282.
CR  - Magno, F., & Cassia, F. (2018). The impact of social media influencers in tourism. Anatolia, 29(2), 288-290.
CR  - Marketing, R. (2019). Influencer marketing global survey consumers. Rakuten Marketing, San Mateo.
CR  - Martínez-López, F. J., Anaya-Sánchez, R., Esteban-Millat, I., Torrez-Meruvia, H., D’Alessandro, S., & Miles, M. (2020). Influencer marketing: brand control, commercial orientation and post credibility. Journal of Marketing Management, 36(17-18), 1805-1831.
CR  - Metzger, M. J., Flanagin, A. J., & Medders, R. B. (2010). Social and heuristic approaches to credibility evaluation online. Journal of communication, 60(3), 413-439.
CR  - Mhlanga, O., & Tichaawa, T. M. (2017). Influence of social media on customer experiences in restaurants: A South African study. Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal, 65(1), 45-60.
CR  - Munar, A. M. (2012). Social media strategies and destination management. Scandinavian journal of hospitality and tourism, 12(2), 101-120.
CR  - Narangajavana, Y., Fiol, L. J. C., Tena, M. Á. M., Artola, R. M. R., & García, J. S. (2017). The influence of social media in creating expectations. An empirical study for a tourist destination. Annals of Tourism Research, 65, 60-70. 
Oliveira, B., & Casais, B. (2019). The importance of user-generated photos in restaurant selection. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 10(1), 2-14.
CR  - Ponte, E. B., Carvajal-Trujillo, E., & Escobar-Rodríguez, T. (2015). Influence of trust and perceived value on the intention to purchase travel online: Integrating the effects of assurance on trust antecedents. Tourism management, 47, 286-302.
CR  - Pop, R.-A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D.-C., & Alt, M.-A. (2022). The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: The role of trust in consumer decision journey. Current issues in Tourism, 25(5), 823-843.
CR  - Popescu, G. H., & Ciurlău, F. C. (2019). Making decisions in collaborative consumption: digital trust and reputation systems in the sharing economy. Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics, 7(1), 7-12.
CR  - Prestwich, A., Perugini, M., & Hurling, R. (2008). Goal desires moderate intention‐behaviour relations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47(1), 49-71.
CR  - Rahman, M., Zahin, M., & Akter, S. (2023). Consumers' Restaurant Selection through Social Media Review. The Comilla University Journal of Business Studies, 8(1).
CR  - Ramos, K., Cuamea, O., Morgan, J., & Estrada, A. (2021). Social Networks’ Factors Driving Consumer Restaurant Choice: An Exploratory Analysis. Paper presented at the Advances in Artificial Intelligence, Software and Systems Engineering: Proceedings of the AHFE 2020 Virtual Conferences on Software and Systems Engineering, and Artificial Intelligence and Social Computing, July 16-20, 2020, USA.
CR  - Richards, T. J., & Tiwari, A. (2014). Social networks and restaurant choice. Retrieved from 
Santos, D. P. d. (2017). The influence of online social media platforms on the choice of restaurants. 
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258-281. 
Schroeder, A., & Pennington-Gray, L. (2015). The role of social media in international tourist’s decision making. Journal of Travel Research, 54(5), 584-595.
CR  - Sigala, M., Christou, E., & Gretzel, U. (2012). Social media in travel, tourism and hospitality: Theory, practice and cases: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
CR  - Statista. (2022). Internet usage in Turkey - statistics & facts. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/10412/internet-usage-in-turkey/#topicOverview.
CR  - Tseng, A. (2017). Why do online tourists need sellers' ratings? Exploration of the factors affecting regretful tourist e-satisfaction. Tourism management, 59, 413-424.
CR  - Tussyadiah, I. P., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2009). Mediating tourist experiences: Access to places via shared videos. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(1), 24-40.
CR  - Verma, R., Stock, D., & McCarthy, L. (2012). Customer preferences for online, social media, and mobile innovations in the hospitality industry. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 53(3), 183-186.
CR  - Wilson, E. J., & Sherrell, D. L. (1993). Source effects in communication and persuasion research: A meta-analysis of effect size. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 21, 101-112.
CR  - Wong, J. W. C., Lai, I. K. W., & Tao, Z. (2020). Sharing memorable tourism experiences on mobile social media and how it influences further travel decisions. Current issues in Tourism, 23(14), 1773-1787.
CR  - Xiang, Z., Magnini, V. P., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2015). Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 22, 244-249.
CR  - Xiao, M., Wang, R., & Chan-Olmsted, S. (2018). Factors affecting YouTube influencer marketing credibility: a heuristic-systematic model. Journal of Media Business Studies, 15(3), 188-213.
CR  - Xu, X., & Pratt, S. (2018). Social media influencers as endorsers to promote travel destinations: an application of self-congruence theory to the Chinese Generation Y. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(7), 958-972.
CR  - Yang, S.-B., Hlee, S., Lee, J., & Koo, C. (2017). An empirical examination of online restaurant reviews on Yelp. com: A dual coding theory perspective. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(2), 817-839.
CR  - Yarış, A., & Aykol, Ş. (2022). The impact of social media use on restaurant choice. Anatolia, 33(3), 310-322.
CR  - Ye, G., Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021). The value of influencer marketing for business: A bibliometric analysis and managerial implications. Journal of Advertising, 50(2), 160-178.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.48119/toleho.1327974
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3266544
ER  -