Abstract
<jats:p>Social media is a critical element of restaurant marketing, yet limited research has simultaneously examined the role of content source and format in shaping consumer responses. Using the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this study examines how the source of social media content (restaurant vs. influencer) and format (photo vs. video) affect cognitive–emotional–sensory appeal, perceived credibility, and restaurant visit intention. A between-subjects experimental design (2 × 2) was used, in which participants viewed different combinations of content source and format. Data were collected via an online questionnaire with 507 valid responses. The results show that restaurant posts perform better with photo-based content, while influencer posts tend to generate stronger responses with video content. In addition, video content is associated with higher perceived credibility across both sources. Both cognitive–emotional–sensory appeal and perceived credibility are positively associated with restaurant visit intentions.</jats:p>