Social Media Marketing Dimensions, Brand Trust, and Smartphone Purchase Decisions: Evidence from an Emerging Digital Market in Malawi

Abstract

This research examines how key social media marketing dimensions — information quality, content credibility, social proof, content relevance, and user engagement — influence brand trust and smartphone purchase decisions. While social media's marketing role is well recognised, companies lack solid evidence on which content features drive consumer trust and choices, particularly in developing markets, where prior studies remain scarce. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected via structured questionnaire from 403 smartphone users in Malawi and analysed through PLS-SEM. Results show that Social Proof significantly enhances Brand Trust (β = 0.367, p < 0.001), and Brand Trust strongly predicts Purchase Decision (β = 0.420, p < 0.001). Content Credibility, however, does not significantly affect Brand Trust (β = 0.021, p = 0.690), though it directly influences Purchase Decision. Brand Trust mediates the relationship between most social media marketing dimensions and Purchase Decision, except for Content Credibility. The study contributes to the limited literature on emerging African markets and clarifies the distinct roles of social media marketing dimensions, positioning Brand Trust as a central mediating mechanism. Findings highlight that trust alone is insufficient without relevant, engaging, customer-centric content. Firms in similar contexts should prioritise interactive and educational social media strategies to build consumer trust and drive purchase decisions.