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
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
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