The perceived impact of social media influencers on consumer purchase intention in South Africa

Abstract

This research evaluates followers perception of social media influencers (SMIs) impact, effective characteristics SMIs may use to influence consumer purchase intention in South Africa, and if follower age has moderating impact on the informative quality and attractiveness of SMIs. This study used convenience sampling and an online survey. A sample of 186 responses was examined using Smart PLS to conduct Confirmatory factor analysis. The targeted population was active social media users in South Africa, active on at least one social media platform, and are followers of least one SMI. The most popular platforms for following SMIs are Instagram and Facebook. 80% of respondents use social media more than five times per week. The findings of this research supported that SMI informative quality, expertise, and attractiveness positively impact consumer purchase intention.. However, this was inconsistent with this study and their finding did not hold in the South African context. Findings show that the quality of the information and attractiveness are positively influenced by a followers’ ages, especially for younger followers who have little to no life experience to draw upon when making a purchase. SMIs should be part of their digital marketing strategies to increase consumer awareness and market share retention.