The Sway of Credibility: How Influencer Trustworthiness Impacts Millennials' Purchase Intentions

The rise of social media has led to an increasing impact of influencers on consumers, shaping their perspectives and beliefs.Recent research on social media influencers (SMIs) has made significant progress in examining their influence on consumer buying decisions.However, there is a need to understand the relationship between SMI attributes and consumer choices.This research gap underscores the importance of delving deeper into the attributes of SMIs that shape consumer behaviour.This study aims to explore how the attributes of social media influencers (SMIs) impact consumers' inclination to purchase a product.The research focused on 200 millennials residing in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia who actively follow SMIs on social media, with 135 of them meeting the criteria as eligible participants The research employed a quantitative method, utilizing an online questionnaire to collect information about how millennials perceive the attributes of SMIs on their PI.The results reveal that the only attribute influencing PI is the credibility of the source.These results add to the body of Social Learning Theory by confirming its principles within the realm of SMIs and their impact on consumer PI.Furthermore, the study enhances our understanding of SMIs by identifying the key determinants of influencer marketing's impact on purchase intent.It highlights the importance for marketers to prioritize selecting credible influencers for their campaigns, emphasizing the need for careful consideration in choosing influencers who maintain a trustworthy and genuine online presence.