Understanding individuals' motivations and behaviors regarding engagement with and loyalty to social media platforms is essential to enhance brand competitiveness. However, few studies have investigated the drivers and effects of user stickiness to social media platforms. Therefore, this study examined the factors affecting social media user stickiness, the effects of social media stickiness on social media user loyalty, and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between gratification motivations and social media user stickiness. This study proposed an integrated model of brand loyalty to social media platforms.
This quantitative study was grounded in the stimulus-organism-response model and the uses and gratifications theory. A questionnaire survey was conducted with individuals in Vietnam who purchased a brand and followed it on social media. We received 354 responses, among which 324 were valid and included in the analysis. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
The results revealed that user stickiness was influenced by informativeness, entertainment, originality, and social interaction; user stickiness directly affected brand loyalty; and gender moderated these relationships.
This study elucidates the development of brand loyalty by conceptualizing customer engagement as stickiness. The findings offer valuable insights for academics and practitioners regarding promoting user stickiness and loyalty to social media platforms through gratification, which stimulates user engagement with social media activities. Furthermore, this study highlights the moderating role of gender in social media engagement and offers managers guidance on user retention.
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