Influencing Factors on User Loyalty to WeChat Channels: Focused on Mediating Role of Platform Attachment

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

WeChat Channels is a well-known short video platform in China. Competition in the short video platform market is getting more intense day by day. Moreover, loyalty is an essential factor for gaining a long-term competitive advantage. Thus, we aim to explore the influencing factors that drive user loyalty to WeChat Channels in this study. Building on the Uses and Gratifications Theory(U & G) approach and attachment theory, we proposed a theoretical framework to understand how content gratification(self-documentation), social gratification(social interaction), process gratification(entertainment), and technology gratification(medium appeal) impact loyalty to WeChat Channels through platform attachment. We collected 321 responses from China through an online survey. According to the findings, social gratification(social interaction), process gratification(entertainment), and technology gratification(medium appeal) all have a positive impact on platform attachment, which in turn enhances user loyalty to WeChat Channels. The findings enrich the existing literature on short video platforms while also providing critical implications for platform operators to facilitate user loyalty.

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