Social Media Influencer Marketing: Understanding Perceived Popularity, Knowledge, and Trustworthiness in Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Social media influencer marketing is a very important component as a source of advertising for brands, products, or services. The reason behind this is that consumer behavior is highly influenced by the perceived popularity, knowledge, and trustworthiness of the influencers. Thus, the study focuses on the complex interaction between a consumer and influencer on social media platforms and how it affects the purchasing behavior of the consumer. The study is based on a conceptual framework to understand the attitude of the consumer towards the content that is promoted through influencer marketing. It is anticipated that consumer behavior gets affected by the popularity of the influencer/celebrity endorsing the brand, and it also depends upon the frequency of the ads that consumers come across. It is also anticipated that the knowledge of the influence and trust a consumer has in the influencer also affects the purchase intent. A survey with 739 samples and a questionnaire based on influencer marketing and purchase intent was conducted, which was based on a 5-point scaling method. With the goal to gain insight into the effectiveness of influencer marketing strategies, the study aims at exploring how various influencer attributes as well as the kind of their promotional content influence consumer buying behaviour.