Social media marketing activities for influencing voter citizenship behaviour: brand relationship quality as a mediator

Social media marketing activities (SMMA) have become a crucial factor in the political arena, setting political parties apart from one another. This research, based on social identity and social exchange theory, aims to investigate the impact of SMMA on voter citizenship behaviour (VCB) through brand relationship quality (BRQ) as a mediator in the Indian context. Data was collected from eligible Indian voters, out of which 372 responses were valid and were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The research found that all proposed hypotheses were valid except for one. SMMA had a significant influence on BRQ, which in turn had a significant relationship with VCB. However, the direct impact of SMMA on VCB was insignificant, meaning that the relationship was indirect and mediated through BRQ. Furthermore, the educational qualification of voters was found to moderate the relationship between BRQ and VCB. This paper emphasizes the importance of various dimensions of SMMA in building and maintaining relationships with voters and influencing their citizenship behaviour, providing valuable insights for social media managers of political parties.