The Influence of Rational Message and Emotional Message on Intention to Buy Mediated by Active Social Media Engagment among Tiktok Users

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving digital era, social media plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, particularly on platforms like TikTok. This study aims to explore how rational and emotional messages influence TikTok users' intentions to buy, with active social media engagement as a mediating variable. Rational messages focus on factual information and product features, while emotional messages target psychological aspects and emotional connections with consumers. This study employs the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method to analyze the relationships between variables, based on data from 156 student respondents at Satya Wacana Christian University who have made purchases via TikTok. The results indicate that rational messages have a significant direct effect on intention to buy, while emotional messages are more effective in enhancing active social media engagement, which subsequently contributes to purchasing decisions. These findings emphasize that active social media engagement plays a crucial role in bridging the impact of marketing messages on consumer intentions to buy. The implications of this study provide valuable insights for marketers in designing more effective digital communication strategies by combining factual information with emotional elements, supported by social interactions.