Instagram marketing and customer satisfaction in the fashion industry: a systematic review

This study systematically examines the impact of digital marketing strategies on customer satisfaction among Malaysian local fashion small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with particular attention paid to the brands SAOI, Astrid McStella, and Hanya. Utilizing a descriptive research approach and targeting young adult female customers in Malaysia, this study investigates the effects of digital marketing factors, such as social media marketing, on customer satisfaction within local fashion SME. The research framework is grounded in expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), which explains how satisfaction emerges when customers’ perceptions exceed their expectations, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which clarifies how perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness influence customers’ willingness to engage with digital marketing platforms. This systematic review highlights critical success factors, including user-friendliness, up-to-date content, content quality, and engagement activities on Instagram, which together drive positive satisfaction outcomes. The findings suggest that while Instagram marketing substantially improves satisfaction and brand loyalty, challenges such as limited resources, content restrictions, and inconsistent strategies constrain SMEs’ competitiveness of SMEs. This study contributes by integrating the ECT and TAM, offering a dual theoretical perspective on how Instagram marketing enhances satisfaction and long-term competitiveness in Malaysia’s fashion industry.