The psychological and motivational aspects of restaurant experience sharing behavior on social networking sites

Abstract

This study aims to address the psychological aspects of sharing restaurant experiences on Social Networking sites (SNSs). To provide deeper insights into the SNS phenomenon in the foodservice industry, the current study proposed a conceptual framework to capture restaurant customers' online activities on SNSs. Significant psychological drivers that lead to various motivations were identified in this study by examining psychological aspects for self-esteem, life satisfaction, narcissism, and need to belong. In addition, we found that SNS motivations (i.e., self-expression, social benefits, status seeking) act as mediators in the relationship between psychological aspects and SNS sharing intentions. Furthermore, examining gender differences in SNS sharing behaviors revealed that the motives for sharing experiences are the same for men and women. Social media marketing is two-way communication with customers. Building an interactive relationship with potential customers in social media platforms may fail if practitioners disregard what SNSs' users are striving to achieve through online activities.