Abstract:
This study examines how User-Generated Content (UGC) and Electronic Word-of Mouth (eWOM) on social media influence consumers’ purchase intention, with
consumer engagement acting as a mediating variable. Grounded in the Theory of
Planned Behavior (TPB), the research focuses on interactions on Facebook within Sri
Lanka’s beauty care industry. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed,
surveying 384 Facebook users who regularly engage with beauty care content. Data
was analyzed using SPSS, including correlation, multiple regression, and mediation
analyses. The results show that both User-Generated Content (UGC) and Electronic
Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) are significant positive predictors of purchase intention.
Consumer engagement on Facebook partially mediates these relationships, indicating
that highly engaged users are more likely to translate social media interactions into
purchasing decisions. These findings imply that brands should encourage authentic
user participation and facilitate peer recommendations to enhance purchase intent.
The study contributes to theory by applying TPB to a digital marketing context,
highlighting the role of peer influence and social norms in online consumer behavior.
It underscores the importance of engagement as the pathway through which User-Generated Content (UGC) and Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) shape consumer
attitudes and intentions. These insights can help beauty care marketers in Sri Lanka
design social media strategies that boost consumer engagement and drive
conversions.
