Digital Marketing Capabilities and Business Performance: The Mediating Role of Customer Engagement

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of social media marketing capability, data-driven marketing capability, and content marketing capability on business performance, emphasizing the mediating role of customer engagement. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and data were collected through an online survey of business owners, marketing professionals, and managers operating in Lahore, Pakistan. Statistical analysis was used to examine the direct relationships among the variables and the mediating effect of customer engagement. The findings revealed that social media marketing capability, data-driven marketing capability, and content marketing capability had significant positive relationships with business performance and customer engagement. Customer engagement was also significantly and positively associated with business performance and significantly mediated the relationships between all three digital marketing capabilities and business performance. The study relied on online survey responses from a specific geographical context, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to businesses operating in other regions and industries.