TAF PUBLISHING

This paper aims to identify the key drivers of credibility in eWord-of-Mouth based on a comprehensive literature analysis and a field study. To gather the data, an online questionnaire (n = 161) is used. The results demonstrate that credibility is predominantly influenced by source, message, and media credibility. Since social media sources are often anonymous, credibility surrogates need to be identified: this paper gives evidence that expertise/know-how, style of speech, and logic/structure of message reasoning are perceived as the credibility drivers. Concerning media credibility, ease of navigation/usability and structure were identified as key drivers. Visual elements and interactivity were not identified as significant drivers of media credibility. From a practical perspective, collecting, systematizing, filter, and analyzing positive and negative recommendations is particularly important for firms. Moreover, companies should support consumers in writing high-quality reviews by offering templates.