Investigating the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Intention to Follow Advice: The Mediating Role of Active Participation and Benevolence Trust

The concept of social media marketing (SMM) extends beyond general marketing. SMM has significantly impacted the creation and development of marketing concepts. Drawing on the stimulus (S)–organism (O)–response (R) model, this research aimed to explore benevolence trust, active participation and intention to follow advice (IFA) as three consequences of SMM activities (SMMAs). It also aimed to investigate benevolence trust and active participation as a mediator between SMMAs and IFA with regard to a restaurant brand advertised on Facebook. This study used structural equation modelling and obtained data from 364 followers of a restaurant’s Facebook page. The study results showed that SMMAs significantly influenced benevolence trust, active participation and IFA. Furthermore, benevolence trust and active participation significantly influenced IFA. The findings also indicated that benevolence trust mediates the relationship between SMMAs and customer IFA. In addition, active participation with restaurant brands on Facebook acts as a mediator between SMMAs and IFA.