The Influence of Social Media Algorithms on Small Business Reach: Examining the Mediating Role of User Engagement and the Moderating Role of Content Quality
Authors
College of Business Administration King Saud University (Riyadh Saudi Arabia)
College of Business Administration King Saud University (Riyadh Saudi Arabia)
AACSB College of Business Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (Riyadh Saudi Arabia)
Article Information
DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.100801023
Subject Category: Business Management/ Social Media/Social Marketing
Volume/Issue: 10/8 | Page No: 14940-14954
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2026-09-10
Accepted: 2026-09-15
Published: 2026-09-24
Abstract
This study examines the influence of social media algorithms on small business reach, considering user engagement as a mediator and content quality as a moderator. The complete model was statistically significant, F (30,69) = 6.222, p < 0.001, explaining 73.0% of the variance in small business reach (R2=0.7300). Social media algorithms (β = 0.780, t = 6.685, p < 0.001) and user engagement (β = 0.514, t=5.013, p<0.001) significantly improved business reach. The indirect effect through user engagement was positive (α1β2 = 0.159), but its bootstrap confidence interval included zero (95% CI [−0.019, 0.385]). Content quality did not significantly moderate the relationship (β = −0.143, t = −0.707, p = 0.482), indicating that social media algorithms and user engagement are the primary predictors of small business reach.
Keywords
Business Management/ Social Media/Social Marketing
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References
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