HOW CHATBOTS’ SOCIAL PRESENCE COMMUNICATION ENHANCES CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT, BRAND LIKABILITY, INTERACTION SATISFACTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF INITIAL CHATBOTS’ TRUST

Abstract

The growing importance of chatbots as interactive communication channels is changing the way businesses approach marketing. Unlike previous chatbot studies that focused on the utilitarian use of chatbots for online customer support, this research not only looks at which aspects of chatbot communication and profile design may drive chatbot effectiveness, but it also looks at the mechanism underlying the messaging and design effects on consumer engagement. Purpose of this study was to investigates the link between social communication tools in the form of chatbots and consumer confidence in chatbots, as well as their impact on customer reaction, with an emphasis on user engagement mediated by the initial trust factor of chatbots. This study used quantitative research confirmatory factors analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The sampling method used in this research is purposive sampling with number of samples are 258 respondents in Jabodetabek. The findings showed that social presence communication has a positive influence on intial chatbot trust, initial chatbot trust has a postibe influence on brand likability, user engagement, and interaction satisfaction, and also initial chatbots’ trust bringing positive influence on mediating user engagement, interaction satisfaction, and brand likability. AI applications, specifically chatbots in marketing, as an interpersonal communication is an important tools to increase consumer engagement. From this study also can be provides crucial strategic advice to assist marketers use the conversational potential of chatbots for brand communication, based on the empirical findings.

Keywords

• chabots’ social presence communication
• consumer engagement
• brand likability
• interaction satisfaction
• initial chatbots’ trust
• artificial intelligence