The Effect of Social Media Food Bloggers on Followers' Decisions as Potential Customers

In recent years, blogging has become a popular mean of influencing the customers' purchasing decision. The food and beverage industry is one of the industries that are greatly affected by digital interaction; especially with regard to social media means as which have a great ability to build a relation with customers. The study aimed at identifying the extent to which food and beverage bloggers can influence the decisions of their followers to become potential customers. In addition, the study explored the level of this influence according to the different age group and gender of the potential customer. The study included 431 followers of those blogs. The results confirmed the existence of a significant relation between the independent variable (what food bloggers provide on social media) and the customer’s decision to try the advertised meal, whether in the advertised restaurant or in other restaurants, moreover, in the customer's decision to direct others to try the advertised meal, whether in the advertised restaurant or in other restaurants. Finally the results also confirmed the role of the age group and gender in directing the previously proven effect relationship.