The Role of Social Media Marketing in Improving Marketing Performance: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence

This review synthesizes the existing body of scholarship on social media marketing activities and their bearing on the marketing performance of organizations. Its guiding premise is that a visible digital footprint carries little explanatory weight in its own right; what warrants analytical attention are the mechanisms through which published content, patterns of interaction, degrees of customization, responsiveness to emerging trends, and electronic word-of-mouth become connected to outcomes observed at the customer, brand, and firm levels. Attention is directed accordingly to the conditions under which such activity is converted into demonstrable marketing value, with marketing capabilities, market orientation, and customer engagement examined as the principal conduits of that conversion.