Impact of airline social media marketing on purchase intention:Evidence from China using PLS-SEM

Social media has emerged as a pivotal marketing instrument and a platform that facilitates connections between consumers and businesses. In the intense market competition among peer airlines and high-speed rail services, the effective and efficient use of social media can provide a competitive edge for airlines in China. This paper constructs a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and examines the impact of the perceived ease of use of the social media platform, perceived usefulness of information, and marketing strategies on customer perceived value and purchase intention for Chinese airlines using multigroup analysis. The results suggest that social media marketing can positively influence on customers’ purchase intention, and perceived value plays a mediating role between social media marketing and customers’ purchase intention. Perceived usefulness of information is the most important factor contributing to the perceived value of airline products while marketing strategy is the most significant factor that can increase purchase intention. The research indicates a clear need to tailor marketing strategies for passengers based on factors such as gender, income, social media usage, and travel frequency.