The Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Performance with the Mediating Role of Social Networks Analytics Practices and Strategic Approach to Content Marketing

Entrepreneurial orientation is a strategic approach to being a pioneer in hunting opportunities by using innovation and risk-taking. Today, thanks to technological advancement, advertising and marketing in social networks have turned into essential tools to affect customers’ attitudes and emotions, which can greatly affect the viability and performance enhancement of companies. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on performance with the mediating role of social networks analytics practices and strategic approach to content marketing in social networks. This research was quantitative in terms of methodology, applied in terms of the purpose, and descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection and analysis. The statistical population consisted of member companies of Isfahan and Tehran Chambers of Commerce sampled by the convenience technique. Data were collected with a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by calculating the convergent and divergent validity and whose reliability by calculating Cronbach's alpha. The data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method (partial least squares) and SmartPLS 3.0 software. Based on the results, social networks analytics practices have a positive and significant effect on the performance and strategic approach to content marketing. The strategic approach to content marketing has a positive and significant effect on performance, too. In addition, entrepreneurial orientation has a positive and significant effect directly on social networks analytics practices and strategic approach to content marketing and indirectly on performance. Our findings can encourage organizations to strengthen their entrepreneurial orientation to improve performance. In addition, managers should pay more attention to social networks analytics practices and have a strategic approach to content marketing to improve the performance of their organizations.