Intention to participate in online commercial experiments by social network’s users : Differences in gender and age

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the underlying differences in the intention to participate in online commercial experiments through the social network considering users’ gender and age. Design/methodology/approach The model of this paper uses two relevant variables, trust and attitude, to test the behavioral intention. There were 269 data sets from social network’s users. Factorial analysis and linear regression were used in the analysis of the data obtained to investigate the differences in gender and age in the intention to participate in online commercial experiments. Findings The results of this paper show that there exist differences among women and men, and among youthers and adults. Women and youthers are the most desirable groups to conduct commercial experiments through social networks. Research limitations/implications From the point of view of the academics, this paper increases the knowledge of social network’s possibilities as a marketing tool. Practical implications This study and its conclusions are relevant for entrepreneurs in any field who want to reach their customers through a horizontal social network because they can improve the online experiments’ profit. Entrepreneurs can know and understand their customers better, taking into account their wishes, tastes and interests through when participating in a commercial experiment. Originality/value This paper describes the possibilities that social networks like Facebook offer entrepreneurs to know the intention of users to participate in an online commercial experiment. Moreover, the differences in gender and age allow in adapting the contents of the online commercial experiments to get better results. In addition, this research contributes to the investigation in the possibilities of social networks as marketing tools.