Determination of the Mediating Role of Social Media Marketing Activities in the Effect of Brand Trust on Perception Towards Medical Tourism

Aim: This study aims to determine the mediating role of social media marketing activities in the perceptual effect of brand trust on medical tourism. Method: In this study, where a survey was applied as one of the quantitative methods, the survey created in the form of a five-point likert scale in the scale ranges was applied on Google Forms to obtain data. Data were obtained from 390 people consisting of customers who benefit from medical tourism and use social media in Istanbul. The hypotheses created based on the model were tested using the SPSS statistical system. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and t-tests. Results: As a result of the lean analyses, the direct effect of brand trust on medical tourism potential was calculated as 0.246. The indirect effect of brand trust on medical tourism potential due to social media marketing activities was calculated as 0.118. As a result of the first two effects, the total effect of brand trust on medical tourism potential was calculated as 0.364. Conclusion: The effect of customers' trust in the brand on the perception value shown in medical tourism is also desired to be known by businesses. In this context, customers using social media platforms are informed using this channel to get information about their previous experiences in health tourism. As a result of the analysis of the study data, it was revealed that trust in the brand would be strong, especially on the part of consumers, due to their use of medical tourism. In this process, it was concluded that there was a mediating role in influencing the structures related to the subject in social media, depending on the reasons for their creation and explanation.