How Social Presence Influences Engagement in Short Video-Embedded Advertisements: The Serial Mediation Effect of Flow Experience and Advertising Avoidance

Short video platforms have problems with increased competition and low advertising conversion rates. Although social presence is closely related to consumer engagement, research regarding the impact of social presence on consumer engagement in short video-embedded advertisements is sparse. We developed a theoretical model, namely a social presence–flow experience–advertising avoidance–advertising engagement model, and explored the mechanism underlying advertising engagement from a psychological and behavioral perspective. The analysis of 563 short video users revealed that the model exhibited excellent explanatory power for advertising engagement (R² = 41.3%). Social presence can increase consumers’ advertising engagement by enhancing flow experience and reducing advertising avoidance. Meanwhile, the flow experience, by diminishing advertising avoidance, generates a serial mediation effect between social presence and advertising engagement. This study emphasizes social presence’s applicability and influence mechanism in short video-embedded advertisements, a unidirectional information delivery. It provides new theoretical perspectives and practical advice for relevant practitioners.