The role of online source credibility and influencer identification on consumers' purchase decisions

Abstract

The easy access to social media has created influencers that take advantage of this opportunity and gather their own audience. It did not take long for influencers to enter the radar of marketers looking for different ways of reaching consumers. Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular tools in marketing communication. The increasing number of brand-influencer collaborations raises the question of whether influencers are as effective as they are thought to be. The effect of influencers on consumers' purchasing behaviour is an important topic in marketing. However, research on this topic is very scarce. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate the effect of online source credibility and influencer identification on consumers' purchase decisions. An online survey is conducted on 460 participants to achieve this aim. Results show that the perceived trustworthiness of influencers and influencer identification positively affects consumers' purchase decisions.