User–generated content (UGC) is online brand–related content created and shared by consumers or “users”, and its role in social media marketing has been growing continuously since the inception and rise of social media. This growth has made it necessary for brands to understand the impact UGC has in practical settings to optimize their sustainable marketing strategies and understand their consumers’ behaviors. Additionally, with the overlapping of user–generated and brand– generated content, there has been an increasing rate of UGC in brand social media marketing strategies. Despite this increasing prevalence, there is a gap in our understanding of the role of user–generated content in social media marketing. Hence, the research problem revolves around user–generated content utilization by brands on social media, focusing on what role UGC has and what mechanisms underlie this relationship in social media marketing.
The research objectives are twofold:

1. To identify the factors related to user–generated content (UGC) in social media marketing.
2. To explore the effects of user–generated content (UGC) on brand engagement and consumer loyalty.