Examining the effect of FOMO on social media loyalty mediating with flow experience on the antecedent of brand-self congruence

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Brand-Self Congruence on Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and social media loyalty and to examine the effect of FOMO on social media loyalty with the mediating role of Flow Experience. The study is an explanatory and quantitative study aimed at demystifying the social media loyalty process of users with concepts of Brand-Self Congruence, FOMO and Flow Experience. In the study, data were collected from 322 social media users by online survey method. The hypotheses of the study were tested with the SPSS AMOS Structural Equation Modeling method. As a result of the analyzes made, Brand Self Congruence has a positive effect on consumers' FOMO level and social media loyalty, and FOMO has direct and indirect positive effects on social media loyalty. It was also concluded that, Flow Experience has a partial mediation role on the effect of FOMO on social media loyalty. The results of the study contribute to the notion that when practitioners establish their relationships with consumers within the framework of Brand-Self Congruence and design the experiential process according to Flow Experience, the FOMO strategies they employ can become more sustainable. The study makes significant contributions to the literature by being the first to conceptualize the formation process of social media loyalty using the concepts of Brand-Self Congruence, FOMO, and Flow Experience.