The Impact of Influencer Credibility & Content Value On Purchase Intention: The Mediating Effect of Parasocial Interaction

Abstract

Influencer marketing has gained popularity all over the world and it is crucial to have a profound understanding about the underlying mechanisms of the influencer marketing, the role of the influencers, their value and the determinants in the strategic communication perspective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of influencer credibility and message content value of influencer-generated content on purchase intention of followers through the mediating role of the parasocial interaction. A cross-sectional questionnaire is conducted with 400 social media users in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The data were assessed using SmartPLS with structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings of this study were in line with uses and gratifications theory and depicted that the content and social gratifications the social media users obtain from following and interacting with the influencers’ content significantly improve the users’ purchase intention. The SEM results indicated that the U&G theory explains users' attitude toward the social media influencers. The social media users who perceive the social media influencers’ content as entertaining and informative have a positive attitude towards the influencers. Parasocial interaction plays a mediating role when it comes to the relationship of influencer credibility and message content value with the purchase intention of the users. Young adults consume a lot of social media content and have more highly engaged interactions with the influencers, the brands can leverage strategic partnership with good content creators for long term benefits