Does social media marketing affect online repurchase intention? The mediating role of guanxi

Social media marketing is being used increasingly by companies to communicate and interact with customers and influence their behavior responses. The aim in this study was to analyze the relationship between social media marketing and customers’ online repurchase intention as well as the mediating mechanism of guanxi underlying that relationship. Using a paper-based survey and purposive sampling, data were collected from 363 Chinese college students who had online purchase experience through WeChat. Analysis revealed that social media marketing was positively related to customers’ online repurchase intention and guanxi had a significant mediating role between social media marketing and online repurchase intention. This study can guide marketers in utilizing social media marketing to build guanxi with customers and promote their online repurchase intention.