The advance of technology and the widespread adoption of smartphones and handheld devices in recent years have enabled us to publish our experience about a product or service through online photo or video sharing and provide a review. Online review websites have also updated their features, making it easier for consumers to attach pictures or videos to their reviews. As both consumers and businesses adapt to the new photo-sharing trend, it becomes crucial to expand our knowledge regarding user-generated photos’ (UGPs’) effect on online reviews . An empirical study about user-generated photos I worked with a research team in an interdisciplinary project to assess UGPs’ effects on the helpfulness of hotel reviews . We published our findings in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research . The paper is entitled “Let photos speak: The effect of user-generated visual content on hotel review helpfulness.” The hypotheses We drew from the media richness theory and advanced...
Hospitality/Tourism Management | Service Marketing | Information Technology