Importance of Social Networking Sites and Determining Its Impact on Brand Image and Online Shopping: An Empirical Study

Abstract

Social networking influencers are those who use images, videos, and other updates on social media platforms to affect consumers’ impressions of a company or product. The purpose of this study is to assess the present status of social networking sites and the online purchase intentions of consumers. This research paper is an attempt to identify the effect of various attributes of social networking that influence credibility and brand image, eventually leading to the purchase intention of consumers in Delhi NCR (National Capital Region), India. The data were collected using Google Forms via an online questionnaire with a sample size of 262 respondents. A convenient sampling technique was used; structure equation modeling (SEM), convergent and discriminant validity, and model fitness were achieved through Smart PLS 3. This study’s findings reveal that expertise, information quality, and trustworthiness have significant positive effects on credibility and brand image, as well as a significant positive indirect effect on online purchase intention. Other factors, such as entertainment, attractiveness, and likability, have no significant effect on credibility and brand image. The credibility of social networking and brand image mediate the positive relationship between information quality, expertise, trustworthiness, and consumer online purchase intention. On the other hand, the credibility of social networking and brand image mediate the lack of a positive relationship between likability, attractiveness, entertainment, and consumer online purchase intention.