The impact of content marketing on consumer purchase intention on TikTok

Purpose Content marketing has been considered a robust strategic instrument over decades; however, academic focus on its application on social media platforms remains limited. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) approach, this study investigates how content marketing influences consumer online purchase intention, considering the direct effects and moderating influence of factors including attractiveness, emotional appeal, trustworthiness, Electronic Word-Of-Mouth (E-WOM), and perceived relevance. Design/methodology/approach This study recruited 470 active TikTok users in China and collected their responses through an online survey with a random sampling method. A linear regression model was applied to analyze the 406 complete responses. Findings The findings indicate that the attractiveness, emotional appeal, trustworthiness, and E-WOM of content marketing activities positively affect consumer purchase intention. Moreover, perceived relevance demonstrates a positive relationship with online purchase intentions and acts as a critical mediating factor. Originality/value This study offers significant contributions to the content marketing literature by exploring how content characteristics—namely, attractiveness, emotional appeal, trustworthiness, and E-WOM—affect purchase intentions on TikTok. Integrating both emotional and rational categories, this work highlights the mediating role of perceived relevance. This research advances the understanding of social media advertising’s effect on consumer behavior.