“Never mind, if you’re not an expert in it, I’ll buy it”:the impact of influencer credibility on purchase intentions—an international comparison

Purpose: The role of social media influencers is growing in importance, due to their ability to effectively influence. In addition, marketers have identified Instagram as the most important social media channel for influencer marketing, while the concept of credibility has always been significant in the field of influencer marketing. While a few studies have recently focused on how social media influencers influence consumer purchase behavior, research that specifically focuses on influencer credibility and its impact on purchase behavior is still scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of influencer credibility on the purchase intention of beauty products in Sri Lanka.
 Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative study was conducted using the survey method. The sample consists of 150 Instagram users between the ages of 18 and 34 who live in Colombo, Sri Lanka. To empirically test the conceptual model, single and multiple regression analyses were used. 
 Findings: Results suggest that there’s a positive impact of credibility dimensions towards purchase intention and the most impactful credibility factor towards purchase intention is “trustworthiness”
 Originality: This research contributed to the current debates about the credibility of social media influencers. Furthermore, this study focuses on the impact of Instagram influencer credibility dimensions, which is still scarce. So, the current paper fills a gap in the limited existing literature on the credibility of social media influencers on purchase intention, with a focus on the beauty industry in the Sri Lankan context.
 Implications: The findings assist marketers and advertisers in the fashion industry in understanding how influencer marketing affects consumer purchase intent. Additionally, this provides important insights to influencers in order for them to be successful influencers.
 Keywords: Social media influencers, Influencer Marketing, Instagram Influencers, Influencer Credibility, Beauty Industry.

This study explores the impact of influencer credibility, user-generated content (UGC), and celebrity endorsement on purchase intention among Generation Z in Jabodetabek, with brand awareness as a mediating variable. This study collected data from 186 respondents who were skincare products users and the data were analyzed by using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that UGC and brand awareness significantly and positively influence purchase intention. However, influencer credibility and celebrity endorsement do not affect purchase intention significantly. Furthermore, brand awareness does not mediate the impact of influencer credibility and celebrity endorsement on purchase intention. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing user-generated content and brand awareness in shaping consumer’s purchase intention. Moreover, for skincare companies, focusing on authentic user interactions and fostering brand familiarity can enhance marketing strategies, particularly in competitive digital environments. Furthermore, this study offers insights regarding how digital marketing elements influence consumer’s behavior and provides feasible recommendations for businesses who target young and media-savvy customers. The results underline the evolving role of digital content and branding in driving purchase intentions, suggesting that companies should adapt their strategies to align with the expectations of Generation Z, who value relatability and authenticity.

Nowadays, organizations use social media to promote their services and products. At the same time, they use different tools to convey their messages, such as Facebook. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that affect the e-WOM on Jordanian consumers’ purchase intention over Facebook. The study uses the information acceptance model (IAM) to examine the impact of information credibility, information quality, information adoption, and information usefulness over Facebook on Jordanian consumers’ purchase intention. The study uses cross-sectional quantitative research and is conducted online. The questionnaire was distributed through Facebook and WhatsApp, and the people who used only Facebook were allowed to complete the survey. Out of 327 filled questionnaires, only 304 were valid for further analysis. Collected data were coded in SPSS, and after confirming the validity and reliability of the tool, the correlation between variables was checked. In addition, multiple regressions were used to test the hypotheses. Multiple regression results show that the E-WOM can explain 49.2% of the total variation in the consumers’ purchase intention, where R2 = 0.492. Information adoption has the strongest effect on consumers’ purchase intention (β = 0.489), followed by information usefulness (β = 0.204). In contrast, information credibility and information quality do not have a significant effect on customers’ purchase intention (0.189 and 0.312, respectively). This study helps companies and businesses that have pages on Facebook to understand how consumers engage in the e-WOM on business pages and consider the consumers’ reviews, comments, or posts.

This study aims to examine the impact of influencer attributes specifically, influencer credibility, professionalism, brand involvement and content quality on customer perceived quality in the realm of influencer marketing. The study also investigates the role of customer trust in moderating the relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention, offering insights into the mechanisms by which influencers impact consumer behavior. In the digital era, influencer marketing has emerged as a crucial instrument for firms to connect with consumers. Nevertheless, although considerable research has concentrated on the direct impact of influencer marketing on purchase intentions, lack of emphasis has been given on elucidating the intermediary function of customer perceived quality and the moderating impact of customer trust. The deficiency in the literature constrains our comprehension of the mechanisms by which influencer marketing influences customer behavior, especially for perceived quality and ensuing purchase decisions. The study employed a quantitative design, employing survey data gathered from 330 a varied sample of social media users who actively interact with influencer content. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzes the interactions among independent variables influencer credibility, professionalism, brand involvement, and content quality, the mediating variable consumer perceived quality, and the dependent variable purchase intention. The influence of customer trust on the relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention is also examined. This study's findings provide significant insights for marketers and brands utilizing influencer marketing methods. By comprehending the essential qualities of influencers that elevate customer perceived quality and how trust can improve these impacts, marketers can more effectively plan and optimize campaigns to increase purchase intention.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia often face limited marketing budgets, making cost-effective strategies crucial. One emerging approach is leveraging nano and micro influencers, who maintain closer engagement with audiences than larger-scale influencers. This study analyzes the impact of influencer credibility—attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise—on parasocial interaction (PSI) and purchase intention (PI), and compares differences between nano and micro influencers. Using a quantitative design, data were collected from 170 respondents through an online survey targeting skincare industry followers. Analysis employed Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Multi Group Analysis (MGA). Results confirm that influencer credibility positively and significantly affects both PSI and PI (H1–H6 accepted), while PSI also significantly influences PI (H7 accepted). Comparative analysis shows no significant differences across most hypotheses (H8–H14 rejected), except H13, which reveals that nano influencers’ expertise exerts a stronger impact on PI. These findings demonstrate that influencer credibility directly drives PSI and PI, with PSI reinforcing PI. Practically, the study highlights the value of both nano and micro influencers as viable digital marketing strategies for MSMEs, with nano influencers’ expertise offering a distinct advantage in boosting purchase intention.

This study aims to investigate the relationships among corporate-brand credibility, product-brand personality, and purchase intention, specifically in China's auto industry. A large-scale survey was conducted in four major Chinese Mainland cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. A total of 800 questionnaires were distributed for the study. Ultimately, 477 usable cases were collected for a 60 percent response rate. Results reveal that corporate-brand credibility and product-brand personality have direct positive effects on purchase intention. Furthermore, corporate-brand credibility acts as a positive moderator in the relationship between product-brand personality and purchase intention. This chapter offers new theoretical insights into the influential factors affecting consumers' purchase intentions by testing the moderating effect of corporate-brand credibility in the relationship between product-brand personality and purchase intention. It further provides useful suggestions to companies on brand credibility and personality issues.

Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool of digital persuasion; nevertheless, the processes according to which it affects consumer decision-making have not been explored well enough in the case of emerging markets where the institutional trust in online shopping is weak. The paper explores the influencer marketing effect on consumer purchase intention through analyzing the impact of influencer credibility, content quality, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven personalization through the Pakistan social media environment. The study is based on the Source Credibility Theory and the Stimulus Organism Response (S-O-R) model and informed by attitude-based approaches as represented in the literature on consumer behavior and constructs an integrated model of both cognitive and affective influence pathways. The study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional research design that involved the use of a structured survey in the sample comprised of active social media users in Pakistan and who have been recently exposed to influencer-endorsed content. There were 218 valid responses analyzed through the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) that is appropriate in the context of theory expansion and the complicated models with mediation and moderation. According to the results, influencer credibility and AI-improved personalization have a significant positive effect on consumer trust and emotional attachment, and miscellaneous contents generally have a positive impact on purchase intention through a functional assessment and not relational bond. However, the most notable predictor of the purchase intention was consumer trust and the emotional attachment did not readily translate to the actual buying behavior. The consumer attitude portrayed a small yet significant moderating influence on the trust purchase intention relationship. The results emphasize the importance of trust-driven mechanisms over emotional persuasion in risk sensitive online space and give context specific insights into influencer marketing practices in new market.

Social commerce has transformed online shopping by integrating influencer-driven content with platform-based interactions. Drawing on source credibility theory, this study investigates how influencer credibility affects consumers’ purchase intention in Chinese social commerce. We further examine the mediating role of trust and the moderating role of consumer algorithm awareness. Data were collected through an online survey across multiple regions in China, yielding 244 valid responses. Using SPSS, reliability, validity, regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted. The results indicate that influencer credibility positively influences purchase intention both directly and indirectly through trust. Trust was found to be a key psychological mechanism driving influencer effectiveness. Importantly, algorithm awareness negatively moderates the relationship between influencer credibility and purchase intention. Higher algorithm awareness weakens the persuasive impact of influencer credibility. These findings highlight the growing importance of platform-level cognition in shaping influencer marketing outcomes.

This study investigates the impact of virtual influencers (VIs) on consumer engagement and purchase intention in social media marketing by examining how VIs’ marketing efforts and individuals’ tendencies for online social interaction influence engagement with VI-related content on social media. Additionally, it explores the role of influencer type (human vs. virtual) and characteristics (expertise and trustworthiness) in purchase intention. Through two empirical studies, the effectiveness of VIs was assessed: Study 1 established baseline effects and explored the influence of VI content on social media engagement (SME), while Study 2 investigated how the type of influencer (human vs. virtual) moderates the interactive effects between social media influencers’ characteristics (expertise and trustworthiness) and purchase intention. The findings indicate that VI content positively impacts SMEs and purchase intention, but the influencer type does not significantly explain the relationship between endorser characteristics and purchase intention. Our findings highlight that brands should assess VIs’ traits before integrating them into social media marketing strategies. Additionally, we provide insightful recommendations for fostering effective collaboration with VIs in marketing endeavors targeting consumers.

Objective: This study explores the influence of influencer credibility on consumer purchasing intentions on TikTok, focusing on the Indonesian market. It examines the mediating roles of trust and online engagement in the relationship between influencer credibility and purchasing intentions, providing insights into influencer marketing strategies. Design/Methods/Approach: A quantitative approach was employed, using questionnaires to collect data from 356 TikTok users who had made purchases on TikTok. Regression analysis tested the relationships between influencer credibility, trust, online engagement, and purchase intention. Findings: The study found that attractiveness positively and significantly impacts credibility, trust, and purchase intention. Credibility also positively influences trust. Furthermore, trust and online engagement are positively linked to purchase intention. While reliability and expertise positively influence credibility and online engagement, they do not significantly impact purchase intention. Originality/Value: This research applies the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model by examining the impact of influencer credibility factors—physical attractiveness, reliability/honesty, and expertise—on purchase intention, mediated by trust and online engagement. It provides empirical evidence and a theoretical framework for understanding consumer behavior in TikTok influencer marketing campaigns. Practical/Policy Implication: Our results provide a deeper understanding of how TikTok influencer's credibility can influence trust, online engagement, and consumer purchasing intentions in TikTok. The practical implications of this research can guide companies in improving their relationship marketing strategies, significantly increasing consumer purchasing intentions. In addition, the theoretical contribution of this research can improve understanding of the concept of influencer credibility and provide a summary of trust, online engagement, and purchase intention.

This study examined the influence of social media influencers’ reputations on male models' buying intentions for skincare products in Cagayan de Oro City. Influencer reputation, treated as the independent variable, was assessed through communication skills and trust, while buying intention served as the dependent variable. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational research design was employed, with data collected through a survey questionnaire. Findings revealed that influencers were perceived as credible, particularly for their trustworthiness and effective communication. These qualities were found to play a meaningful role in shaping skincare product decisions among male models. Also, a focus group discussion was conducted. The FGDs revealed that trust is the primary driver of buying intention, with male models expressing greater confidence in products endorsed by influencers perceived as credible, authentic, and consistent. Participants emphasized that influencers who demonstrate transparency, expertise, and effective communication—such as showing real product use, explaining ingredients, and engaging like consultants rather than salespeople—are more persuasive. Conversely, scripted content, frequent brand-switching, or overtly commercial promotion weakened trust and reduced buying intention. The study concludes that influencer reputation significantly affects consumer buying intention, highlighting the importance of trust and communication in professions centered on appearance, such as modeling. The results provide valuable insights for skincare brands, influencers, and advertising agencies to develop targeted, credible marketing strategies. Future research is recommended to explore additional factors, such as emotional appeal and authenticity cues, better to understand the impact of influencer credibility on consumer behavior.

Advertisers frequently use endorsers or spokespersons as credible sources to influence consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions. Corporate credibility-the reputation of a company for honesty and expertise-is another type of source credibility that can influence consumer reactions to ads and shape brand attitudes. The present study assessed the impact of endorser and corporate credibility on attitude-toward-the-ad, attitudetoward-the-brand, and purchase intentions. We surveyed 152 adult consumers who viewed a fictitious ad for Mobil Oil company. They rated the credibility of the ad's endorser, the credibility of the company, and attitude-toward-the-ad, attitude-toward-the-brand, and purchase intentions. Path analysis confirmed that endorser credibility had its strongest impact on Aad while corporate credibility had its strongest impact on AB. The findings suggest that corporate credibility plays an important role in consumers' reactions to advertisements and brands, independent of the equally important role of endorser credibility.

Purpose Grounded in source credibility and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), the current study examines the impact of influencers' credibility and consumer involvement on consumer attitudes and purchase intention, exploring potential changes in consumer behaviour before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the mediating role of consumer involvement was examined. Design/methodology/approach A repeated cross-sectional research design was applied to compare consumer behaviour at two different time points. Two sets of data (pre-pandemic, consisting of 297 participants and post-pandemic, consisting of 307 participants) were collected through an online survey among female consumers of beauty products. Findings The findings confirm the positive effect of influencers' credibility on attitudes and consumer involvement. Moreover, the findings highlight the direct impact of consumer involvement on consumer attitudes and purchase intention. In addition, the mediating role of consumer involvement is supported. The comparison between pre- and post-pandemic periods revealed that influencers' credibility demonstrated a weaker effect on attitudes towards influencer-endorsed products after the pandemic. Conversely, consumer involvement had a strong influence on attitudes toward influencer-endorsed products after the pandemic. Practical implications The findings, along with the comparison of the two data sets, provide theoretical and practical implications regarding the relationship between influencers' credibility and consumer involvement. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence on consumer behaviour before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, using a repeated cross-sectional design to identify and compare changes in habits and attitudes across two distinct time periods.

This study investigates the complex dynamics of beauty influencer marketing and its impact on consumer purchase intentions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we integrate Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to examine the relationships between perceived influencer credibility, content quality, parasocial interaction, perceived authenticity, brand trust, and attitude towards the product. Data collected from 412 consumers were analyzed using SmartPLS4. The results reveal significant direct and indirect effects of influencer characteristics and content factors on purchase intentions, mediated by brand trust and attitude towards the product. Notably, product-influencer fit emerges as a significant moderator, enhancing the impact of influencer credibility on purchase intentions. The fsQCA results complement these findings by identifying multiple configurations leading to high purchase intentions, highlighting the equifinality in influencer marketing effectiveness. This research contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive model of influencer marketing effectiveness, demonstrating the interplay between various factors, and revealing multiple pathways to success. The findings offer valuable insights for marketers in developing effective influencer marketing strategies, emphasizing the importance of influencer selection, content quality, and fostering authentic connections with audiences.

ABSTRACTThis study explored how consumers' presumed influences mediated the impacts of source credibility and advertising skepticism on purchase intention in the context of celebrity-endorsed advertising (CEA). A national media consumer panel (N = 445) indicated the third-person perception (TPP) were positively correlated to celebrity expertise and attractiveness, but negatively influenced by advertising skepticism. Moreover, three celebrity credibility variables and advertising skepticism yielded direct effects on purchase intention. Indirect effects by the TPP were also generated on purchase intention. The TPP would mediate the impacts of celebrity credibility and advertising skepticism on purchase intention in response to various desirable/undesirable endorsers. Moreover, the TPP would decrease the impact of celebrity credibility, but increase the impact of advertising skepticism on purchase intention, indicating that the third persons' attitudes toward CEA may become a key reference in consumers' purchase intention processes.