A Survey of the Effect of Social Media Marketing on Online Shopping of Customers by Mediating Variables

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of social media marketing on online shopping of customers based on mediating role of value capital, relational capital and brand capital by path analysis method. 169 students of Tehran University were included in this study. They filled out the questionnaires of social media marketing, value capital, relational capital, brand capital and e-shopping of customers. The results of path analysis showed that social media marketing had positive and significant impact on value capital, relational capital and brand capital. The direct effect of relational capital on value capital and brand capital was direct, positive and significant. Three variables of value capital, relational capital and brand capital had a direct and positive and significant effect on e-shopping of customers. Social media marketing had indirectly positive and significant impact on e-shopping of customers via value capital, relational capital and brand capital. Relational capital by value and brand capital had indirect, positive and significant impact on e-shopping of customers. Generally, the results of the present study supported mediating role value capital, relational capital and brand capital variables in relationship between social media and e-shopping of customers.