Effects of social media influencers on consumer buying behaviour

Abstract

Nowadays businesses typically promote their products on social media to potentially reach a large number of online users. One method of doing this is through social media influencers (SMIs). Social media influencers allow brands to target specific audiences online and influence their purchasing decisions. The rise of this phenomenon is evident today through the influencers who can be seen promoting products for brands on various social media platforms. This study aims to research University of Malta (UM) students’ attitudes towards social media influencers, their social pressures, their perceived behavioural control, and how they affect their purchasing intention. Ajzen’s (1991) Theory of Planned Behaviour was the conceptual model underpinning the study. An online-based questionnaire was used to collect data which targeted students attending the University of Malta. It resulted that most students did follow social media influencers. Through the questionnaire, 153 current UM students who followed social media influencers on social media platforms acted as valid participants to the main study. The results indicated that University of Malta students’ attitudes towards social media influencers and subjective norms both had a significant relationship with the intention to purchase products promoted by social media influencers. However, it was found that perceived behavioural control had a weak relationship with purchasing intention. Lastly, results showed that the intention to purchase products promoted by social media influencers had a significant relationship with purchasing behaviour.