Using a consumer socialization framework to understand electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) group membership among brand followers on Twitter

• We examine the factors which discriminate between Twitter brand followers’ decisions to engage in eWOM behaviors on the site.
• Brand followers with positive attitudes toward brands are more likely to tweet brands.
• Brand followers with positive relationships with brands are more likely to tweet brands.
• Brand followers who serve as role-models to others are more likely to tweet brands.
• Similar patterns were found in terms of retweeting the links of brands.

With the real-time brand communications prevalent in Twitter, it has emerged as an increasingly important social technology that facilitates brand-focused electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) activities. The objective of the current research is to examine the factors which discriminate between Twitter brand followers’ decisions to engage in eWOM behaviors on the site. Specifically, this study proposes that peer communication, brand-related factors, and Twitter usage motivate brand followers to share eWOM messages on Twitter. Results from an online survey showed that brand followers who serve as role-models to others, those with positive attitudes toward and relationships with brands on Twitter, those who most heavily use Twitter and follow many brands, were most likely to tweet brands. Similar patterns were found in terms of retweeting the links of brands. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that Twitter is a socialization agent that facilitates eWOM and provides useful insights for social media marketers.