Presentational effects of photos and text in electronic word-of-mouth on consumer decisions

Purpose This study clarifies the integration-related effects of photos and text on consumer information processing and decision-making outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an experiment by recruiting 162 workers from Amazon Mechanical Turk. These participants were randomly assigned based on a full factorial, between-subject design with four possible conditions (2 [separate vs alternate layout] × 2 [photo-first vs text-first sequence]). The authors conducted a two-way analysis of variance to test the main effects and the interaction effects of layout and sequence on perceived diagnosticity, pleasantness feelings and attitudes toward products or services reviewed through electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM); the authors also applied Process Models 4 and 8 to explore the mechanism of these effects. Findings The experimental results reveal that text-first sequence is generally more effective than photo-first sequence in enhancing perceived diagnosticity and attitudes toward products or services. However, when a photo is displayed first, a separate layout is more effective than an alternate layout in enhancing perceived diagnosticity and attitudes. By contrast, regardless of the sequence, an alternate layout is more effective than a separate layout in inducing pleasantness feeling. Research limitations/implications Future studies should further explore photo-based e-WOM, including other photo characteristics (e.g. visual quality, quantity and content). Practical implications This study provides guidelines for businesses to use photos on social media to achieve strategic goals. Originality/value This study addresses an identified need; that is, how the presentation of photo cues (e.g. layout and sequence) influences consumer decisions.