The Effect of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Image among Domestic Tourists in Myanmar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64297/jmrsmet.v2i1.54Keywords:
Social media marketing, Purchase intention, Brand image, eWOM, Domestic tourism, MyanmarAbstract
This research explores how social media marketing influences Myanmar domestic tourists' buying behavior through the mediating effect of brand image. The study focuses on five dimensions of social media marketing: entertainment, interaction, trendiness, advertisement, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). The research used a quantitative design to gather data from 300 participants through a structured questionnaire. The researchers evaluated both measurement and structural models through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the AMOS software. The results demonstrate that all social media marketing dimensions positively impact brand image development, with eWOM being the strongest predictor and interaction following. Brand image shows a strong positive effect on consumers' intentions to make purchases. The direct effects of entertainment, interaction, trendiness, and advertisement on purchase intention are not significant because their influence functions through other means. eWOM displays a dual effect on purchase intention through its direct and indirect effects.
The analysis shows that brand image serves as a complete mediator between entertainment, interaction, trendiness, and advertisement and their impact on purchase intention, while it serves as a partial mediator between eWOM and purchase intention. The study demonstrates that brand image functions as the vital link connecting social media marketing activities with consumer behavior. The study shows tourism marketers should develop interactive, engaging, and user-driven content strategies to build their brand image which will lead to greater purchase intention in digital environments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Thaingar Aung Soe, Sui Reng Liana, Ricardo Saavedra (Author)
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