Perceived Security and Trust Transfer in Social Media Based Brand Communities (SMBBCs) According to the Role of Customer Engagement

Abstract

Social Media Based Brand Communities (SMBBCs) have created a potential tool for development of brand communication in companies, but it is worth noting that the increasing interest in the use of social media and networks has created both opportunities and social and security threats leading to an infrastructure for the emergence of insecurity and violation of the privacy. The research sought to perceive existing values of Social Media Based Brand Communities (SMBBCs) and investigate the trust transfer and how the customer brand trust could be transferred by other members of a brand community. The present study had a descriptive survey type. Therefore, 384 active users' views in brand communities of Instagram social network were collected and measured using online questionnaires, and then analyzed by the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique and SMART PLS software. According to results, the perceived security by customers in social networks had a significant positive effect on the trust transfer between members of Social Media Based Brand Communities. Furthermore, the trust transfer (customer-customer trust and customer-marketer trust) had a significant positive effect on the customer engagement in brand communities; and the trust transfer and engagement led to the brand trust. On this basis, suggestions were offered to enhance customers' perception of security as well as their engagement in brand communities

Keywords

• "perceived security"
• "trust transfer"
• "customer engagement"
• "social media based brand communities (smbbcs)"