E-business Through Social Media: An Instagram Page Attribute-Conversion Model in Context of Fashion Apparel Industry

Abstract

Instagram is a highly favoured platform for visual businesses, particularly fashion apparel industry. There are increasing number of fashion apparel businesses that are growing without any physical presence, solely on the basis of their online platforms. To explore the role of Instagram in consumer engagement for this sector, this article aims to empirically test an Instagram business page attribute-conversion model to examine how attributes of a business Instagram page can influence the purchase decision of a consumer, and subsequently result in conversion. First, based on focus group interviews, four Instagram page attributes relevant for an online fashion apparel business were identified. These were instant popularity gauge, influencer appeal, visual aesthetic and an interactive forum. The final model was tested among 327 consumers using structural equation modelling (SEM). Further, moderating role of gender was investigated. Results show that having a visually aesthetic and an interactive forum with active participation (followers/comments/likes/views) and collaboration with trusted brands/admired social media influencers should form an important component of Instagram sales conversion strategy for online retail businesses.