Abstract:
Background: Facebook visual content has become an important
marketing tool for cosmetic brands to communicate with consumers and
build customer trust. However, limited empirical research has examined
how visual content on Facebook influences customer trust through
customer engagement in the Sri Lankan cosmetic industry.
Objective: This study investigates the effect of visual content of
Facebook on customer trust with the mediating role of customer
engagement with special reference to the cosmetic industry in the
Colombo district of Sri Lanka.
Methodology: The study employed a quantitative research approach
using a structured, closed ended questionnaire to collect primary data
from a sample of 384 Facebook users who follow the cosmetic brand
pages. Respondents were selected through a convenience sampling
method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Key Findings: The findings revealed that Facebook visual content has
a significantly positive impact on customer engagement (B = 0.849, p ˂
0.05) and customer trust (B = 0.874, p ˂ 0.05), and also customer
engagement positively influences customer trust (B= 0.529, p ˂ 0.05).
Furthermore, Mediation analysis confirmed that customer engagement
partially mediates the relationship between visual content and customer
trust (B = 0.094, p ˂ 0.05), indicating that visual content enhances
customer trust primarily by increasing customer engagement. Conclusion / Implication: This study highlights the critical role of
Facebook visual content in enhancing customer engagement and
building customer trust within the cosmetic industry. By empirically
validating the mediating role of customer engagement, the study
contributes to the existing literature and addresses a notable research gap
in the Sri Lankan context the findings provide valuable insights for
cosmetic marketers to design effective visual content strategies to
strengthen consumer trust and engagement.
