Examining the Impact of Influencer Attributes on Consumer Trust and Purchase Intention: A PLS Path Modeling Approach

Abstract

Using social media influencers (SMIs) for marketing has become increasingly popular among brands as a way to expand their reach and connect with a broader audience. In this study, we investigate the influence of perceived authenticity, attractiveness, and informativeness on the content, purchase intention, and brand awareness of Moroccan SMIs, with trust serving as a mediating factor. We employed a research model with six specific hypotheses, utilizing PLS path modeling and 30 validated metrics from the existing literature to test these relationships rigorously. We surveyed 291 Moroccan consumers who follow at least one SMI. We found that both the attractiveness and informativeness of SMIs' content impact trust, which in turn influences purchase intention for the advertised product or service. However, perceived authenticity does not significantly impact trust in SMI content. A k-means clustering analysis was conducted on our respondents, yielding exciting patterns regarding SMIs' ability to influence purchase intention.