Impact of local governments’ social media engagement on citizens’ trust, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth: A study of Lima-Peru

Abstract

This study investigates the role of social media engagement by district mayors in Lima, Peru, as a mechanism to build citizen trust, satisfaction, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) behavior. This research is grounded in the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) frameworks to examine how different types of content—videos versus text and photos—used by mayors in their interaction with social media influence trust towards both the mayor and municipality. In turn, this trust impacts citizen satisfaction, which leads to eWOM behavior. A survey conducted with social media users in Lima who follow their local government officials highlights the potential of social media to enhance trust and improve citizen satisfaction. Results demonstrate that video content positively influences trust in the mayor and the municipality, increasing satisfaction and positive eWOM. This study contributes to the literature by identifying social media content as a trust-building tool in local governance. It provides practical insights for municipalities on effective social media strategies to improve citizen engagement.