The Impact of Social Media Content Marketing on Consumer Purchase Decisions: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust

Abstract

The research is aimed at examining how Social Media Content Marketing (SMCM) affects the consumer purchasing decision with the mediating role of brand trust. This study hypothesizes that useful, relevant and continuous content on social media networks is a decisive factor of consumer behavior in an age where consumers are becoming more cynical with conventional advertisements. Data was gathered through a survey of a sample of social media users with the use of a quantitative methodology and assessed using a structural equation modelling (SEM). The data was analyzed using SPSS-23 and SmartPLS. The results show that the positive direct influence on brand trust and purchase decisions exerted by SMCM is significant. The study outcomes also indicate the existence of a positive and significant impact of brand trust on consumer purchase decisions. However, the results also show that brand trust is a strong and effective mediator in the relationship between SMCM and consumer purchase decision. This implies that the purchase decisions are largely determined by effective social media contents that initially create a base of trust in the brand. The paper concludes that brand trust is not an outcome, but a very important psychological mechanism in which content marketing is converted into commercial action. These insights can give managers a strategic need to focus on trust-building content, more than simply promotional tactics, in order to effectively influence consumer buying.