The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Satisfaction: The Role of Usage Frequency, Brand Image, Brand Identification, and Content Quality DOI: https://doi.org/10.33093/ijomfa.2025.6.2.10

Main Article Content

Yu Qing Soong
Qizhilu Zhang
Quan Kai Ang
Wei Chien Ng

Abstract

In recent years, consumers have widely utilised social media to be particularly involved with interested brands via online platforms, share their opinions, and easily explore brand-related information. Hence, this study examined the impacts of social media, from the perspectives of usage frequency, brand image, brand identity, and brand content, on consumer satisfaction in China based on social identity theory and attachment theory. The research applied a quantitative method via an online questionnaire, and 302 valid responses were received. After the data was collected and a research model was built, multiple regression analysis was utilised to analyse the data and prove the hypothesis. As such, the findings showed that brand content quality significantly positively affected consumer satisfaction, while usage frequency, brand image, and brand identity had insignificant relationships to consumer satisfaction. The study's results contributed to the existing related literature by further analysing the impacts of usage frequency on consumer satisfaction and aiming to provide marketers with feasible strategies to help improve consumer satisfaction.

Article Details

How to Cite
Soong, Y. Q., Zhang, Q., Ang, Q. K., & Ng, W. C. (2025). The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Satisfaction: The Role of Usage Frequency, Brand Image, Brand Identification, and Content Quality: DOI: https://doi.org/10.33093/ijomfa.2025.6.2.10. International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting, 6(2), 268–299. https://doi.org/10.33093/ijomfa.2025.6.2.10
Section
Management, Finance and Accounting

References

Abadi, S. J., Mahdavipour, Z., Rezaei, A., & Nazari, F. (2021). The relationship between employee self-concept, brand identity, brand pride and brand citizenship behaviour and customer satisfaction. International Journal of Business Excellence, 23(2), 171-187. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBEX.2021.113436

Ahn, J., Slevitch, L., & Sung, K. S. (2023). Foodservice mobile application quality determinants’ impact on customer satisfaction and repeat usage intentions: The role of perceived risk. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 14673584231213219. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231213219

Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1978). The bowlby-ainsworth attachment theory. Behavioral and brain sciences, 1(3), 436-438. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00075828

Alzubi, A. M. (2022). Impact of new digital media on conventional media and visual communication in Jordan. Journal of Engineering, Technology, and Applied Science (JETAS), 4(3), 105-113. https://doi.org/10.36079/lamintang.jetas-0403.383

Arghashi, V., Bozbay, Z., & Karami, A. (2021). An integrated model of social media brand love: Mediators of brand attitude and consumer satisfaction. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 20(4), 319-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2021.1933870

Arora, M. (2023). Encapsulating Role of Persuasion and Skill Development in Marketing Communication for Brand Building: A Perspective. In International Handbook of Skill, Education, Learning, and Research Development in Tourism and Hospitality (pp. 1-17). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3895-7_25-1

Baldwin, J. R., Pingault, J. B., Schoeler, T., Sallis, H. M., & Munafò, M. R. (2022). Protecting against researcher bias in secondary data analysis: challenges and potential solutions. European Journal of Epidemiology, 37(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-021-00839-0

Bandyopadhyay, S., & Rishi, B. (2025). Contemporary Issues in Social Media Marketing. In D. Kapoor, R. Khandelwal, & S. Khandai (Eds.), Mapping the B2B Customer Journey through Social Media Marketing (pp. 134-151). Routledge.

Bargoni, A., Ballerini, J., Vrontis, D., & Ferraris, A. (2022). To be (family) or not to be (family): the familiness effect over brand authenticity posts on social media and consumer engagement relationship. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 32(5), 713-736. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2021-3722

Bilal, M., Zhang, Y., Cai, S., Akram, U., & Halibas, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence is the magic wand making customer-centric a reality! An investigation into the relationship between consumer purchase intention and consumer engagement through affective attachment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103674. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103674

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss (No. 79). Random House.

Buyukdag, N., & Kitapci, O. (2021). Antecedents of consumer-brand identification in terms of belonging brands. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102420

Chuenban, P., Sornsaruht, P., & Pimdee, P. (2021). How brand attitude, brand quality, and brand value affect Thai canned tuna consumer brand loyalty. Heliyon, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06301

Dam, S. M., & Dam, T. C. (2021). Relationships between service quality, brand image, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(3), 585-593. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no3.0585

Dash, G., Kiefer, K., & Paul, J. (2021). Marketing-to-Millennials: Marketing 4.0, customer satisfaction and purchase intention. Journal of business research, 122, 608-620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.016

De Oliveira Santini, F., Ladeira, W. J., Pinto, D. C., Herter, M. M., Sampaio, C. H., & Babin, B. J. (2020). Customer engagement in social media: a framework and meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 1211-1228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00731-5

Donga, G., Chimucheka, T., & Shambare, R. (2025). Brands, Branding and Young Consumer Behaviour. In Brands, Branding, and Consumerism: Personal and Social Influences on Consumption (pp. 275-309). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80859-3_7

Ferreira, S., & Pereira, O. (2025). More Than Brands, Friends: Enhancing Emotional Engagement Through AI in Digital Relationship Marketing Context. In Leveraging AI for Effective Digital Relationship Marketing (pp. 287-308). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-5340-0.ch010

Fischer, H. E., Boone, W. J., & Neumann, K. (2023). Quantitative research designs and approaches. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 28-59). Routledge.

Global Times. (2025). Chinese bubble tea chain Mixue draws support from netizens, instead of backlash, after reported ‘food safety issues’. Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1330276.shtml

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage Publication.

Hasan, M., & Sohail, M. S. (2021). The influence of social media marketing on consumers’ purchase decision: investigating the effects of local and nonlocal brands. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 33(3), 350-367. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2020.1795043

Hasan, S., Qayyum, A., & Zia, M. H. (2023). Social media marketing and brand authenticity: the role of value co-creation. Management Research Review, 46(6), 870-892. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-07-2021-0552

Hsu, C. E., Raj, Y. S., & Sandy, B. (2021). Music streaming characteristics and emotional consumption as determinants of consumer satisfactions and intention to purchase. Contemporary Management Research, 17(3), 157-188. https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.20647

Hsu, L. C. (2024). An integrative model for online community citizenship behavior of luxury fashion brands on Instagram. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 28(2), 357-378. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-12-2022-0263

Hua, C., Wu, F., Zhou, X., Duan, Q., & Zhang, N. (2024). A Study on the Correlation Between Brand Image and Customer Satisfaction Using Big Data Analytic. In L.C. Jain et al. (Eds.), Innovative Design and Intelligent Manufacturing (pp. 248-254). IOS Press. https://doi.org/10.3233/FAIA241110

Iqbal, M. N. (2025). The Role of Social Media in Shaping Consumer Decisions and Brand Perceptions. In Sustainability, Innovation, and Consumer Preference (pp. 197-226). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-9699-5.ch009

Iqbal, Z., & Khan, A. R. (2024). Exploring multi-dimensional metrics for assessing customer satisfaction in the Pakistani cellular industry. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 17(4), 1063-1076. http://doi.org/10.22059/IJMS.2024.365760.676219

Ju, X. (2024). A social media competitive intelligence framework for brand topic identification and customer engagement prediction. PloS one, 19(11), e0313191. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313191

Kalenyuk, I., Kuklin, O., Panchenko, Y., Djakona, A., & Bohun, M. (2024). Financial innovations in the smart city ecosystems. Financial and Credit Activity: Problems of Theory and Practice, 1(54), 102-113. https://doi.org/10.55643/fcaptp.1.54.2024.4287

Khan, I. (2022). Do brands’ social media marketing activities matter? A moderation analysis. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102794

Kim, D. J., Salvacion, M., Salehan, M., & Kim, D. W. (2023). An empirical study of community cohesiveness, community attachment, and their roles in virtual community participation. European Journal of Information Systems, 32(3), 573-600. https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2021.2018364

Kim, D. Y., & Kim, H. Y. (2022). Social media influencers as human brands: an interactive marketing perspective. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 17(1), 94-109. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2021-0200

Kraus, S., Jones, P., Kailer, N., Weinmann, A., Chaparro-Banegas, N., & Roig-Tierno, N. (2021). Digital transformation: An overview of the current state of the art of research. Sage Open, 11(3), 21582440211047576. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211047576

KV, R. (2024). Exploring the Factors Influencing Consumer Decision-making in the social media Era: A Study of the Dynamics and Trends. UCJC Business and Society Review (formerly known as Universia Business Review), 21(83). https://journals.ucjc.edu/ubr/article/view/4713

Leckie, C., Dwivedi, A., & Johnson, L. (2022). Examining drivers and outcomes of social media brand engagement. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 34(2), 350-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-07-2020-0488

Lee, A. Y., & Hancock, J. T. (2024). Social media mindsets: A new approach to understanding social media use and psychological well-being. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1), zmad048. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmad048

Lehdonvirta, V., Blank, G., Oksanen, A., & Räsänen, P. (2021). Social media, web, and panel surveys: Using non-probability samples in social and policy research. Policy & Internet, 13(1), 134–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.238

Leong, S. Y., Yip, M. Y., Tan, C. H., & Chan, M. S. (2024). Effect of social media influencers on generation y purchase intention: evidence from men’s skincare products in Malaysia. International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting, 5(1), 111-135. https://doi.org/10.33093/ijomfa.2024.5.1.5

Lim, W. M. (2025). What is qualitative research? An overview and guidelines. Australasian Marketing Journal, 33(2), 199-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241264622

Loken, B., & John, D. R. (2023). When do bad things happen to good brands? Understanding internal and external sources of brand dilution. In Brands and Brand Management (pp. 233-270). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003421320

Maghraoui, S., & Khrouf, L. (2024). Cyberaddiction to TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SJME-01-2023-0023

Majeed, M., Owusu-Ansah, M., & Ashmond, A. A. (2021). The influence of social media on purchase intention: The mediating role of brand equity. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), 1944008. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1944008

Mohammad, J., Quoquab, F., Thurasamy, R., & Alolayyan, M. N. (2020). The effect of user-generated content quality on brand engagement: The mediating role of functional and emotional values. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 21(1), 39-55. http://www.jecr.org/node/598

Myors, B., Murphy, K. R., & Wolach, A. (2010). Statistical power analysis: A simple and general model for traditional and modern hypothesis tests (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Nayyar, V. (2025). Impulsive consumer digital shift: virtual reality as a new mode of physical experience. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 36(1-2), 78-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2024.2436560

Nguyen, K. M., Nguyen, N. T., Pham, T. T. X., Tran, N. H. M., Cap, N. C. B., & Nguyen, V. K. (2025). How ephemeral content marketing fosters brand love and customer engagement. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SJME-04-2024-0089

Nikolinakou, A., & Phua, J. (2020). Do human values matter for promoting brands on social media? How social media users values influence valuable brand-related activities such as sharing content creation and reviews. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 19(1), 13-23 https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1790

Nunnally, J. C. (1978). An overview of psychological measurement. Clinical diagnosis of mental disorders: A handbook, 97–146.

Ortiz, J. A. F., De Los M. Santos Corrada, M., Lopez, E., Dones, V., & Lugo, V. F. (2023). Don't make ads, make TikTok’s: media and brand engagement through Gen Z's use of TikTok and its significance in purchase intent. Journal of Brand Management, 30(6), 535-549. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-023-00330-z

Palaniswamy, N., & Duraiswamy, M. (2023). Enhancing Brand Image: Brand Trust, Brand Loyalty, and Social Media Influences on Building a Brand Image. In INDAM: Indian Academy of Management at SBM-NMIMS Mumbai (pp. 233-243). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0197-5_14

PwC. (2023). 2023 Global Consumer Insights Survey China report. PwC Research, Hong Kong, China. https://www.pwccn.com/en/retail-and-consumer/2023-global-consumer-insights-survey-china-report-aug2023.pdf

Rashidi-Sabet, S., & Bolton, D. E. (2024). Commitment-trust theory in social media interactions: implications for firms. Journal of Marketing Management, 40(13-14), 1300-1335. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2024.2434143

Rather, R. A., Rasul, T., Khan, H., & Khan, I. (2024). Unveiling the dynamics between consumer brand engagement, experience, and relationship quality towards luxury hotel brands: Moderating investigation of brand reputation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 116, 103572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103572

Sahai, P., Gupta, P., & Hungund, S. (2024). Influence of perceived usefulness and user generated content on consumer trust to make online purchase decision. International Journal of Business Excellence, 32(3), 273-295. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBEX.2024.137257

Samala, A. D., & Rawas, S. (2024). From Likes to Buys: Unveiling the Impact of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Behavior and Market Dynamics. TEM Journal, 13(3), 2156. http://dx.doi.org/10.18421/TEM133-43

Sander, F., Fohl, U., Walter, N., & Demmer, V. (2021). Green or social? An analysis of environmental and social sustainability advertising and its impact on brand personality, credibility and attitude. Journal of Brand Management, 28, 429-445. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00236-8

Semenda, O., Sokolova, Y., Korovina, O., Bratko, O., & Polishchuk, I. (2024). Using social media analysis to improve E-commerce marketing strategies. International Review of Management and Marketing, 14(4), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.16196

Shaengchart, Y., Kraiwanit, T., & Butcharoen, S. (2023). Factors influencing the effects of the Starlink Satellite Project on the internet service provider market in Thailand. Technology in Society, 74, 102279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102279

Statista. (2024a). Most popular reasons for internet users worldwide to use social media as of 4th quarter 2023. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/715449/social-media-usage-reasons-worldwide/

Statista. (2024b). Social media advertising spending worldwide from 2019 to 2029 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1418549/social-media-ad-spend-worldwide

Statista. (2024c). Social Media Advertising: market data & analysis. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/study/36294/digital-advertising-report-social-media-advertising/

Statista. (2024d). Change in frequency of Chinese consumers at trying new brands compared to last year in China as of June 2021. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1313804/china-consumer-changing-frequency-at-trying-new-brands/

Statista. (2025a). Number of social media users worldwide from 2017 to 2028 (in billions). Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/

Statista. (2025b). Number of active social media users in the Asia-Pacific region as of February 2025, by country or territory (in millions). Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/295606/social-media-mau-asia-pacific-countries/

Statista. (2025c). Monthly usage of major social media platforms in China as of 3rd quarter 2024. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/250546/leading-social-network-sites-in-china/

Stevens, J. L., Gleim, M. R., & Waites, S. F. (2024). Experience identification: connecting online engagement to offline loyalty. Journal of Services Marketing, 38(8), 1012-1029. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2023-0466

Vetrivel, S. C., Gomathi, T., Sowmiya, K. C., & Sabareeshwari, V. (2024). Customer-centric excellence in the marketing 6.0 era: industry 6.0. In Advanced Businesses in Industry 6.0 (pp. 192-219). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3108-8.ch013

Wang, K. Y., Chih, W. H., Honora, A., & Wu, Y. P. (2024). Investigating antecedents of brand value co-creation behaviors in social media based brand communities. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 64, 101359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2024.101359

Wang, Z. (2021). Social media brand posts and customer engagement. Journal of Brand Management, 28(6), 685-699. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00247-5

Waqas, M., Hamzah, Z. L., & Salleh, N. A. M. (2022). Branded content experience in social media settings: a consumer culture theory perspective. Journal of Brand Management, 29(2), 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00268-0

Win, C. C. M. T., Dodanwala, T. C., & Santoso, D. S. (2024). Synthesizing customer satisfaction and loyalty through contractors’ service quality and brand image. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-06-2023-0633

Yang, Y., Chen, M., & Meng, H. (2024). The drivers of sharing willingness regarding sustainable fashion brand image based on commitment theory. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(11), 2831-2848. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2023-1035

Zulkifli, F. A. Z., Ismail, S., & Mohamad, S. F. S. (2024). The impact of social media advertising on online shopping preferences in Nilai City, Malaysia. International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting, 5(2), 75-109. https://doi.org/10.33093/ijomfa.2024.5.2.4