Analysis of the Impact of Viral Marketing in Social Networks on the Purchase Intention of Consumers: A Case Study of Telegram Social Network

The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of viral marketing in social networks on the purchase intention of consumers. The research is an applied one, and, in terms of methodology, it is a descriptive survey. The statistical population of this research consists of the users of Telegram social network. In order to gather the research data, a questionnaire is used, and the research results are derived from the analysis of 196 valid responses to the questionnaire. Experts’ and scholars’ views are reviewed to check the visual and content validity of the questionnaire. A reliability analysis is conducted using Cronbach’s alpha test, and it is found to be 0.926. In order to check the convergent and discriminant validity values, Smart PLS (determining factor loading) and SPSS (determining correlation among 11 variables) are used. Also, in order to test the research hypotheses Smart PLS is used, and a path analysis is conducted. The results of the research indicate that beneficial perception of information, social norms and perceived risk have a meaningful relationship with purchase intention.