From engagement to loyalty: the mediating roles of brand trust and social media brand posts

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how social media brand engagement influences brand loyalty in the smartphone industry. Particular attention is given to the mediating roles of customer engagement with social media brand posts and brand trust, thereby clarifying the mechanisms through which engagement translates into enduring consumer–brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study collected survey data from 585 smartphone users in Jordan. Measurement validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis, and hypotheses were tested using a structural path model, providing robust statistical evidence of the relationships among the engagement, trust and loyalty constructs. Findings Social media brand engagement positively influences brand loyalty, both directly and indirectly through brand trust. Aggregated post-level engagement exerts a weaker effect, contributing modestly to loyalty. Disaggregated analyses reveal that engagement behaviors differ in impact: liking significantly influences trust and loyalty, whereas commenting and sharing do not. Serial mediation is not supported for aggregated post-level engagement; a significant sequential pathway emerges through liking, trust and loyalty. Originality/value Customer engagement theory is advanced by differentiating between brand-level and post-level engagement, revealing that visible engagement behaviors are not uniformly valuable. Trust emerges as the dominant relational pathway driving loyalty. Situated within Jordan’s smartphone industry, the study extends the contextual relevance of engagement research in emerging markets. Managerially, the findings prioritize trust-building strategies over surface-level engagement indicators.