The impact of social media marketing activities on brand loyalty and awareness: the mediating role of customer satisfaction in Yemen’s telecom industry

Abstract In the competitive telecommunications sector in Yemen, companies face challenges in fostering brand loyalty and awareness through digital marketing efforts. Social media marketing activities (SMMAs) have emerged as a key strategy, yet their effectiveness in driving brand-related outcomes remains underexplored. Additionally, the role of customer satisfaction (CST) as a potential mediator in this relationship is not well understood. This study examines the impact of SMMAs on brand loyalty (BL) and brand awareness (BA) while investigating the mediating effect of CST. Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this study employs a quantitative research approach, collecting data from a sample of social media users who follow telecom brands in Yemen. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS is used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that SMMAs significantly enhance BL and BA, indicating the effectiveness of digital marketing efforts in shaping brand perceptions. Furthermore, CST plays a critical mediating role, reinforcing the link between SMMAs and brand-related outcomes. The findings of this study suggest that consumer engagement on social media platforms is a key driver in translating marketing efforts into improved brand loyalty and awareness.