The efficacy of influencers in marketing strategy : the case of Maltese businesses

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of influencer marketing from local consumers’ and Maltese businesses’ perspectives. It aimed to assess the effect of social media influencers on the consumer buying process and the degree of trust displayed by consumers towards these opinion leaders. It also strove to examine the relationship between social media influencers and Maltese organisations when they adopt influencer marketing strategies. Methodology: The research used a mixed-method approach. Posting a quantitative online survey yielded 391 Maltese consumers. Furthermore, 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of Maltese organisations to investigate the impact of social media influencers on Maltese consumers’ purchasing intentions and businesses. Findings: The study indicated that social media influencers in Malta strongly impacted the consumer buying decision and exuded considerable trust among local consumers. Moreover, from a business point of view, most interviewees strongly believed in the effectiveness of influencer marketing, considering it a key component of their marketing strategy in terms of promoting a brand product and boosting sales. Limitations: This study was limited to only 10 companies from several industries because of time constraints and special circumstances, so it cannot be representative of all the business sectors. Indeed, drawing more definite conclusions necessitates interviews with more companies. Moreover, since only 391 respondents participated in the survey, the findings cannot be generalised to the whole population. Implications: This research can be used by companies from different sectors as a stepping stone to learning more about the marketing strategies that best fit with local consumers as understanding consumers’ purchasing mindsets can inform the adoption of successful and effective marketing strategies. Originality: So far, a number of authors have conducted research on consumer buying behaviour in specific trend-setting industries, such as fashion and beauty; however, this study focuses on a much wider range of industries.