Agricultural products: A study on the impact of social presence on customer engagement in livestream marketing

Abstract

With the development of the digital economy, livestream marketing for agricultural products has become an important channel for promoting the digital transformation of rural industries. Drawing on user value theory, this study examines how social presence influences customer engagement in agricultural livestream marketing by incorporating customer satisfaction as a mediating variable and trust atmosphere as a moderating variable, and proposes a conceptual model. Based on data from 312 valid questionnaires, the results show that social presence positively affects customer engagement both directly and indirectly through customer satisfaction. Moreover, trust atmosphere strengthens the direct effect of social presence on customer engagement as well as the mediating role of customer satisfaction. This study extends consumer behavior research by integrating livestream marketing into the theoretical framework and highlighting the role of livestream-specific relational factors in shaping customer behavior. The findings also provide actionable insights for optimizing agricultural livestream marketing, including fostering trust, enhancing interactivity, and supporting farmers and e-commerce platforms.