Optimizing Tiktok: The Role Of Social Media Marketing Activities In Enhancing Customer Engagement Mediated By Celebrity Endorsers And Brand Love

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMA) on Customer Engagement, with Celebrity Endorser and Brand Love serving as mediating variables within the transportation service industry. Social media marketing strategies foster emotional connections with consumers and enhance their engagement in the digital environment. A quantitative approach was employed using the Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method via SmartPLS 4. Data were collected through an online questionnaire (Google Forms) from 219 respondents who had viewed or followed TikTok content. The model was evaluated through validity and reliability tests, while the structural model was used to examine direct and indirect relationships between variables. The results indicate that SMMA has a significant positive effect on Brand Love, Celebrity Endorser, and Customer Engagement. Furthermore, Brand Love significantly influences Customer Engagement and mediates the relationship between SMMA and Customer Engagement. Conversely, Celebrity Endorser does not significantly influence Customer Engagement and does not mediate this relationship. These findings underscore the importance of emotional bonds in enhancing customer engagement through social media marketing strategies.