The Influence of Social Media Marketing and Electronic Word of Mouth in Increasing Brand Trust at Benny & Associates Architecture Studio

Wilbert Sia; Hommy Dorthy Ellyany Sinaga; Irvan Rolyesh Situmorang; Johnny Chandra

doi:10.55980/ebasr.v5i2.424

Authors

Wilbert Sia Management Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Eka Prasetya, Medan, Indonesia
Hommy Dorthy Ellyany Sinaga Management Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Eka Prasetya, Medan, Indonesia
Irvan Rolyesh Situmorang Management Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Eka Prasetya, Medan, Indonesia
Johnny Chandra Accounting Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Eka Prasetya, Medan, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55980/ebasr.v5i2.424

Keywords:

Social Media Marketing , Electronic Word of Mouth , Brand Trust , Professional Service Firms

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media marketing and electronic word of mouth (E-WOM) on brand trust at Benny & Associates Architecture Studio in Medan. The background highlights that weak digital communication strategies and poor management of online reviews have reduced the company’s credibility, despite sufficient technical capacity. The research method employs a descriptive quantitative approach with a sample of 75 respondents selected through saturated sampling. The questionnaire instrument was tested for validity and reliability, and the data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, t-test, F-test, and coefficient of determination. The findings show that social media marketing has a positive and significant effect on brand trust, with a regression coefficient of 0.211 and a t-value of 4.427 (sig. 0.000 < 0.05). Meanwhile, E-WOM exerts a more dominant influence, with a regression coefficient of 0.470 and a t-value of 6.207 (sig. 0.000 < 0.05). Simultaneously, both variables contribute 65.9% to brand trust, while the remaining percentage is influenced by other factors not examined in this study. These results emphasize the importance of integrating digital communication strategies through social media with proactive management of online reviews to strengthen brand trust. The study provides practical contributions for architectural service firms in enhancing content quality, transparency of information, and responsiveness to client reviews, while also enriching

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