The Role of Customer Engagement in Transforming Social Media Marketing and Experience into Customer Behavioral Outcomes

Abstract

Technologies have reshaped consumer-brand interactions, positioning social media marketing (SMM) as a pivotal strategy for shaping consumer behavior and fostering long-term customer relationships. As digital touchpoints increasingly define the customer journey, understanding how SMM affects downstream behavioral outcomes such as loyalty and purchase intention has gained scholarly and managerial attention. Drawing upon the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of social media marketing and customer experience on purchase intention, with customer engagement and loyalty intention serving as mediators. The study adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional design, collecting data from 376 active social media users in Pakistan using purposive sampling. Structural Equation Modeling was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to evaluate both measurement and structural models. The findings reveal that SMM significantly influences loyalty intention directly and indirectly through customer engagement, while loyalty intention further enhances purchase intention. However, customer experience does not directly impact purchase intention, nor does it mediate through customer engagement, indicating a more complex relationship. These results emphasize the importance of engagement as a strategic bridge between digital marketing efforts and customer loyalty. The study advances theoretical understanding by contextualizing the S-O-R model within digital consumer behavior and offers practical implications for marketers seeking to convert engagement into loyalty and transactional outcomes.