Emojis in social commerce and their influences on the consumer

Social commerce platforms facilitate the purchase of products through social networks. The literature suggests that its dimensions (i.e., comments, ratings, and reviews) influence trust and purchase behavior. This study proposes including emojis as a dimension of social commerce. In 3 experiments, it was verified that emojis' presence alongside comments about service positively impacts trust (Study 1). Hence, its effect varies depending on the type of comment (Study 2) and service (Study 3), influencing purchase intention. The presence of emojis in utilitarian services alongside comments generates lower trust, unlike hedonic services that positively affect purchase intention. Moreover, other customers' negative comments about the service have more impact on individual trust, reducing purchase intention. The study brings theoretical and practical contributions since it expands the scope of social commerce by including Emojis as an element of the concept.