Do social media fans walk their talk? The impact of advocacy and criticism on own purchasing

Marketers typically favor customers who advocate for a brand over those who criticize it, as managerial insights on word-of-mouth suggest that advocacy positively influences while criticism negatively impacts the purchase behavior of other customers. However, little is known about the effects of advocacy and criticism on the engaging customer’s own purchase behavior. To close this gap, this research examines how advocacy and criticism in social media are associated with the engaging customer’s own subsequent purchases, while considering external influences (i.e., marketer and community engagement, advertising). The authors draw on a unique data set from the social media brand community of a major European online retailer, matching survey-based mindset metrics, observable engagement behaviors, and archival purchase data at the individual level. The results of this field study and an experimental validation study indicate that customers who advocate for the brand tend to purchase less often, while customers who criticize the brand tend to purchase more often. Based on psychological contract theory and exit, voice, and loyalty theory, the authors argue that advocactes primarily seek social value through community bonding, while critics aim to extract transactional value, either by maintaining a balanced brand relationship or prompting improvements in the brand’s offerings. Overall, this research challenges the assumption that advocacy fosters more loyal behaviors than criticism.