Why is Social Network Site Advertising Ineffective? Seeking Answers Using a Holistic Theoretical Framework, Multi-Platform Approach

Abstract

With the growth of social media advertising, marketers lack a comprehensive framework that explains consumers’ engagement intentions toward social media ads. This study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test a robust theoretical framework that provides practical implications for improving engagement intentions toward social media advertising. An online panel from Prolific was used for data collection. The results confirm the validity of the framework and demonstrate that five out of seven tested attitudinal antecedent beliefs significantly influence attitudes toward social media advertising. Attitudes and subjective norms have the strongest influence on engagement intentions. Furthermore, the results indicate that social media ads containing product information and perceived entertainment generate the highest attitudes and, consequently, greater engagement with the ads. These findings have practical implications for marketers seeking to improve engagement with their social media advertising campaigns.