Recently, due to the advent of Web 2.0 and the diffusion of smartphone, the utilization of the social network services (SNS) increased remarking SNS as a new marketing tool. In agricultural fields, the use of SNS is constantly expanding, which is more useful for agricultural marketing. The use of technology in agriculture field which has been neglected in the past has now dramatically increased, however, resources and related studies do not meet a demand for it as well as there is limited research with respect to mobile SNS.
This study intends to analyze consumers’ intention in purchasing agricultural products based on using smartphone mobile social network services. Empirical implications for agricultural sellers can be also drawn from this research.
In understanding the mobile and SNS characteristics, the conceptualized Mobile SNS characteristics independent variables are accessibility, interactivity, information offering and comment of appreciation. As for the parameters, PEU(perceived ease of use) and PU(perceived usefulness) are used as key variables during the initial acceptance of information system. Finally, using the purchase intention as the dependent variable, the impact on the relationship between the parameters and the dependent variables along with the independent variables is identified.
The survey was conducted from March 6, 2015 to March 31, 2015, and the targeted participants are adults who are over 20 years old with experiences on searching or purchasing of agricultural products using mobile SNS or smartphone. Based on using SNS such as Portal sites (Daum and Naver cafe), FaceBook, as well as owned blogs, samples were randomly collected. The convenience extraction method was utilized. Two hundred forty-four (244 or 88.4%) valid questionnaires were used to analyze the results. Analysis of the general characteristics of the collected data is done using SPSS 17.0. Also, data reliability, confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis test is determined through AMOS 17.0.
The results are as follows.
First, the purchase intention is directly influenced by PU (perceived usefulness). Second, the purchase intention is not directly influenced by PEU (perceived ease of use). However, PEU indirectly affects the purchase intention through PU. This can be attributed to the fact that measurement scales of PEU includes only ease of use of mobile SNS. Third, accessibility and interaction characteristics of mobile SNS influenced PEU while information offering and comment of the good feeling appreciation influenced PU. In addition, interaction characteristic of mobile SNS greatly influenced PU. As an overall analysis of the most influential characteristic of mobile SNS, interactivity appears to have the greatest impact on purchasing intention for agricultural products. Fourth, the most commonly used SNS type in purchasing agricultural products using mobile is Internet community; blog, profile-based services appeared to be seasonal.
There are some academic implications for this study. First, when defining the characteristics of mobile SNS, there should be an understanding on the properties of web-based and mobile SNS. Next, is to redefine the characteristics of the prevailing marketing on the basis of previous studies for mobile SNS. Second, analyzing mobile characteristics that influenced the purchase intention of agricultural products that affect mobile SNS provides a theoretical basis rationale to support the mobile SNS-related research in the future.
The practical implications of this study are as follows:
First, it shows that consumers buy when they feel it is useful; and they feel it is more useful when the system is more convenient and easy to use. Second, in terms of agricultural products sellers, should try to use effective mobile SNS as a communication and marketing tool.
Finally, this paper has a few limitations such as the data for this study were not a random sample, etc.

Key Words : Agricultural Products, Mobile Social Network Service(SNS), Technology Acceptance Model(TAM), Purchase Intention.