Investigating the relationship between social media advertising features and consumer purchase intention: The moderating role of brand trust

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift from traditional marketing to digital approaches and increased time spent on social media platforms. These changes have highlighted the growing importance of social media advertisements in influencing consumer behavior. Accordingly, businesses must understand consumer behavior and optimize their advertising strategies. This study examines the effects of social media advertising features (performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, perceived relevance, habit, interactivity, and informativeness) on consumers' purchase intention in Türkiye, and investigates the moderating role of brand trust. The study aims to contribute to both academic literature and marketing practice. Data were collected from online consumers using a non-probability convenience sampling method. A 5-point Likert scale online questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms and email. Data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4. Reliability and validity of the measurement model, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, and correlation analyses were conducted, followed by hypothesis testing using structural equation modeling (SEM). According to the results, performance expectancy, perceived relevance, habit, and informativeness were found to have statistically significant and positive effects on consumer purchase intention. In contrast, neither hedonic motivation nor interactivity has a substantial impact on purchase intention. Findings from the moderation analysis revealed that brand trust significantly strengthened the relationship between performance expectancy and purchase intention. However, its interactions with other advertising features were not statistically significant. These results suggest that brand trust plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, particularly about functional expectations.