Electronic word-of-mouth and customers’ preference for telecommunication firms and their services in Karu local Government area of Nasarawa state, Nigeria

The research evaluated the relationship between electronic word-of-mouth (ewom) and consumers’ inclination for telecom companies and their offerings with Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State as the study area. Four major telecom businesses that operate in the area as of the time of this research were used for the investigation and they are MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9 moblie. The study notably evaluated how online comments and experience sharing on the Internet as aspects of electronic word-of-mouth shape customers inclination for one telecom firm and its services over another in the aspect of brand loyalty, repeat purchase, and referral. A cross-sectional study plan established on the reasoning of methodological triangulation was embraced in the investigation. The investigator worked with a preservationist populace gauge of 372 customers/respondents which was also used as the sample size for the inquiry. Judgmental examining method was utilized in sharing the 372 respondents among six major towns – Mararaba, Ado, New Nyanya, Masaka, Tudun-Wada, and New Karshi in the study area with each having 62 respondents. Individual respondents from the six major towns utilized for the inquiry were haphazardly chosen through convenience sampling strategy. Data for the inquiry was collected with questionnaire. The data collected were analysed with a statistical tool - Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with the assistance of a computer software -SPSS version 22. At the conclusion of the inquiry the result showed that online comments and experience sharing on the web emphatically and altogether impacted customers buying conduct towards the telecom firms and their services in terms of brand loyalty, repeat buy, and referral. Based on the discoveries, the research concluded that electronic word-of-mouth is a solid determinant of customers inclination for one telecom firm and its services over another in the local government and by expansion, Nigeria in general. The managers of the telecom firms were hence advised to give tactical consideration to electronic word-of-mouth as the strategy will not only attract customers but can equally convince them to buy their services.