Dominant Motives and Perceptual Drivers of Social Media Advertising Response: Are Users More Receptive to Advertising on Facebook or YouTube?

Users respond to advertising on social media (SM) differently. Past research has not considered such variation in responses across SM platforms, despite their importance in informing communication strategy. This research, therefore, examines users’ motivational and perceptual drivers across two SM sites (i.e., Facebook and YouTube), investigating the mechanisms through which these motives drive advertising responses. Results from two studies show that depending on the SM platform, the usage of the platform is dominated by different motives, which indirectly influence individuals’ advertising responses; via perceptions of advertising value. The results offer theoretical and practical insights on advertising on SM.