Exploring the Influence of Self-Disclosure, Privacy Concerns, and Satisfaction on Peace of Mind in Social Media Marketing: A Case Study of Digikala Customers

In the digital age, we currently inhabit, our daily interactions are heavily mediated by social media, offering us a swift and efficient means of communication. It is for this reason that businesses of all sizes, including small, medium, and large enterprises, regard social media as both a valuable and indispensable channel for marketing. Social media marketing is a part of the digital marketing process that uses content creation in social networks to achieve businesses' marketing and branding goals. This research aims to investigate the effect of self-disclosure, privacy concerns, and satisfaction levels on peace of mind in social media marketing.

The present study, in terms of its purpose, falls within the realm of applied research and can be categorized as a correlational descriptive investigation. Philosophically, it adopts a deductive approach and aligns with the positivist paradigm. Additionally, it takes the form of a cross-sectional study. The population of this research includes all customers of Digikala, the largest and most well-known e-commerce platform in Iran, in Karaj city. The Cochran formula was used to minimize the required sample size for the research, which amounted to 384 participants. Considering the limitations of data collection, a questionnaire was designed electronically, and the data was collected from the population through email and social networks. The social media platforms examined in this research encompassed Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The survey sought the participation of an audience with prior experience purchasing and using Digikala, inviting them to contribute by completing the questionnaire. The Jacobsen et al. (2020) questionnaire was used to measure the variables of the research. A 5-point Likert scale was used to answer the questions (from 1= completely disagree to 5= completely agree). In this study, the opinions of the experts, and specialists were used to check and determine the validity of the questions, and Cronbach's alpha was used to check the reliability of the questions. The reliability of all variables was higher than 0.7. Hypotheses were tested by the structural equation method using partial least squares (PLS) software.

The descriptive findings of the study indicated that the majority of participants fell within the age groups of 36-50 years (59%), 20-36 years (21%), and 50 years and above (20%). Regarding educational levels, participants included those with diplomas and associate degrees (17 percent), and bachelor's degrees (29 percent), with the majority having attained a master's degree (54 percent). Inferential findings showed that privacy concerns have a positive effect on the variables (self-disclosure, satisfaction, and peace of mind in marketing). Also, self-disclosure was proven to have a positive effect on peace of mind. Satisfaction has a positive effect on the peace of mind in marketing, too.

Utilizing social media as a means of disseminating public information is a vital and constructive use of these platforms. Furthermore, it is essential to facilitate the expression of personal feelings and experiences within the realm of social networks.