The influence of social media marketing on brand loyalty in the restaurant industry

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to look into the effectiveness of social media marketing activities (social media reviews, informativeness, interactivity, trendiness) on brand loyalty through brand engagement and brand reputation acting as mediators. Design/methodology/approach: This research follows a quantitative approach where a fully structured questionnaire was disseminated online and reached 261 participants. Findings: It was observed that social media marketing is effective at building brand loyalty through social media marketing activities i.e., social media reviews, informativeness, and trendiness with engagement being deemed a significant mediator bridging the gap between SMMA and loyalty. Originality/value: This research confirms the increasing significance of social media marketing as a marketing channel. Additionally, it supports marketers in the restaurant industry by recommending effective social media marketing activities which may be implemented in their social media strategy to increase loyalty in their business.