Audience Engagement Effect On The Influence Of Social Media Communication Strategies On Organizational Reputation Of UAE Media Organizations

In an era where social media significantly influences organisational reputation and audience engagement, identifying effective communication strategies has become a critical challenge for organisations striving to remain competitive in dynamic digital landscapes. This challenge is particularly acute in the UAE, where rapid social media growth necessitates a deeper understanding of audience engagement and the strategic impacts of communication efforts. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between organisational reputation and audience engagement, while examining the effects of four key social media communication strategies: advertising, promotion, publicity, and public relations within the UAE context. Adopting a mixed-methods research framework, the study integrated quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a comprehensive analysis. Quantitative data were collected via structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were derived from expert interviews to contextualize and enrich the statistical findings. The results revealed a significant association between organisational reputation and audience engagement, highlighting the interplay between these constructs. Among the communication strategies evaluated, advertising, publicity, and public relations emerged as significant influencers of both organisational reputation and audience engagement, whereas promotion exhibited a comparatively subtler impact. Public relations was identified as the most impactful strategy for enhancing organisational reputation, underscoring its importance in reputation management. Furthermore, audience engagement was found to mediate key relationships, particularly linking publicity to organisational reputation, illustrating its central role in communication dynamics. This study makes a unique contribution by combining quantitative audience perspectives with qualitative expert insights to offer a nuanced understanding of social media communication strategies in the UAE’s dynamic media environment. By
bridging theoretical analysis with practical implications, the research underscores the critical importance of culturally informed and audience-centric approaches, offering valuable guidance for organisations operating in the Middle Eastern media landscape.