The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty: An Arab Perspective

Abstract

Social media gives firms a better platform to promote and build brand trust and loyalty. The objective of this study is to develop and validate a conceptual model that integrates the relationships among social media marketing elements, brand trust, and brand loyalty. Data was collected from 242 social media users in Saudi Arabia and the model was tested by employing structural equation modelling using SPSS and AMOS. The model was tested using a two-stage process, model evaluation and testing the significance of the model. Results of the hypotheses tests reveal that brand communities, entertainment, interaction, and customization features have a significant and positive relationship with brand trust and brand loyalty. The findings of this study provide a guide to social media marketers to build brand trust and loyalty.