The Impact of Influencer Attributes on Consumer Buying Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived Credibility and Consumer Engagement

  • Authors

    • Sonia Chaturvedi Research Scholar, Mittal School of Business, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India
    • Dr. Sumit Sangwan Assistant Professor, Mittal School of Business, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India
    https://doi.org/10.14419/cw7knh40

    Received date: May 16, 2025

    Accepted date: June 7, 2025

    Published date: June 11, 2025

  • Influencer Marketing; Consumer Buying Intention; Social Media Influence; Digital Marketing; Structural Equation Modeling

  • Abstract

    This study investigates the influence of influencer attributes on consumer purchasing intention with a mediating role from consumer engagement and perceived credibility. The study applies a structural equation model (SEM) approach in analyzing a database from a consumer survey, which measures five attributes of influencers—attitude homophily, attractiveness, expertise, information quality, and popularity—and whether these attributes have a direct impact on purchasing behavior. The study finds that attitude homophily, attractiveness, expertise, and popularity have a direct impact on consumer purchasing intention, whereas information quality does not have a direct impact. Furthermore, consumer engagement and perceived credibility are mediators that intensify the impact between attributes of influencers on purchasing intention. The study confirms that success in digital marketing is affected by engagement with influencers as much as by influencer credibility. The study finds critical insights for marketers and brands in terms of engaging with credible and engaging influencers in order to boost marketing strategy.

  • References

    1. Handayani, N. T., Pradana, M., & Hidayat, A. M. (2024). The Effect of Influencer Attributes on Purchase Intention with Perceived Characteriza-tions and Brand Equity as Intervening Variables on Scarlett. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, 6(5), https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i05.27466.
    2. Zaman, S. A. A., Anwar, A., & Haque, I. (2023). Examining the Mediating Effect of Online Engagement and Online Reviews: The Influence of Influencer Credibility on Consumer Purchase Intentions. Pakistan Business Review, 24(4), https://doi.org/10.22555/pbr.v24i4.872.
    3. Nugroho, S. D. P., Rahayu, M., & Hapsari, R. (2022). The Impacts of Social Media Influencers’ Credibility Attributes on Gen Z Purchase Intention with Brand Image as Mediation. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 11(5), 1893, https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i5.1893.
    4. Iqbal, A., Ramish, M., Shoaib, S., & Abbasi, M. T. (2024). From Influence to Purchase: Unraveling the Impact of Influencer Credibility, Brand-Involvement and Influencer Professionalism on Perceived Quality and Trust-Driven Purchase Intention. Research Journal for Societal Issues, 6(2), 265, https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v6i2.265.
    5. Ou, C., Chen, K., Tseng, W., & Lin, Y. (2022). A Study on the Influence of Conformity Behaviors, Perceived Risks, and Customer Engagement on Group Buying Intention: A Case Study of Community E-Commerce Platforms. Sustainability, 14(4), 1941, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041941.
    6. Abdullah, M., Farooq, H., Mukhtar, S., Mushtaq, S., & Hassan, S. M. N. U. (2024). Effect of Social Media Influencers’ Credibility on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: A Mediating and Moderating Analysis. Journal of Education and Social Studies, 5(2), 32, https://doi.org/10.52223/jess.2024.5232.
    7. Zaidi, U. (2024). Social Media Engagement and Purchase Intentions: The Role of Influencer Attributes. Journal of Excellence in Social Sciences, 3(3), 312, https://doi.org/10.69565/jess.v3i3.312.
    8. Afzal, B., Wen, X., Nazir, A., Junaid, D., & Olarte Silva, L. J. (2024). Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Shopping Behavior: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan. Sustainability, 16(14), 6079, https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146079.
    9. Pervaiz, S., Khan, S., & Khan, M. A. (2023). The Impact of Social Media Influencers on Purchase Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Credibility in Sindh, Pakistan. Journal of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences (JHSMS), 4(2), 5, https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.jhsms/4.2.5.
    10. Khan, S. (2023). The Role of Digital Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intention and the Mediating Effect of Customer Trust and Engagement. Global Journal for Management and Administrative Sciences, 4(1), 177, https://doi.org/10.46568/gjmas.v4i1.177.
    11. Hanafi, E. B., Wahab, A., Khan, N., Siddika, A., & Subbarao, A. (2024). The Sway of Credibility: How Influencer Trustworthiness Impacts Mil-lennials' Purchase Intentions. Journal of System and Management Sciences, 42(3), 423.
    12. Liang, C., Ding, J., & Lee, E. S. (2024). Exploring the Influence of Green Product Attributes on Consumer Perceived Value and Purchase Intention: Taking Green Household Appliances as an Example. Korea International Trade Research Institute, 20(2), 23, https://doi.org/10.16980/jitc.20.2.202404.23.
    13. Weismueller, J., Harrigan, P., Wang, S., & Soutar, G. (2020). Influencer Endorsements: How Advertising Disclosure and Source Credibility Affect Consumer Purchase Intention on Social Media. Australasian Marketing Journal, 28(3), 160-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.03.002.
    14. Sesar, V., Martinčević, I., & Boguszewicz-Kreft, M. (2022). Relationship between Advertising Disclosure, Influencer Credibility and Purchase In-tention. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(7), 276. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15070276.
    15. Suganya, R. V., & Bawa, S. A. (2024). Exploring the Influence of Social Media Influencers’ Credibility on Consumer Behavior: An Empirical Study. ComFin Research, 12(1), 6815. https://doi.org/10.34293/commerce.v12i1.6815.
    16. Iqbal, A., Ramish, M., Shoaib, S., & Abbasi, M. T. (2024). From Influence to Purchase: Unraveling the Impact of Influencer Credibility, Brand-Involvement and Influencer Professionalism on Perceived Quality and Trust-Driven Purchase Intention. Research Journal for Societal Issues. https://doi.org/10.56976/rjsi.v6i2.265.
    17. Yan, X., Tat, H. H., & Sade, A. B. (2024). A Literature Analysis on the Relationship Between AI Influencers’ Perceived Credibility and Purchase Intention: Product-Endorser Fit with the Brand as a Moderator. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i3/21092.
    18. Abraham, J., Floreto, S., Pagkalinawan, M., & Jr, A. (2022). Consumer Perceptions: Do Sponsorship Disclosure and Influencer Credibility Affect Brands in the Beauty and Cosmetics Industry? International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.54660/anfo.2022.3.2.19.
    19. Pandey, M., & Rajashekarreddy, P. (2021). Influencer Credibility and the Moderating Role of Social Media Usage Behaviour on Consumer Pur-chase Intention: A Hybrid PLS-SEM Modelling Approach.
    20. Zaman, S. A. A., Anwar, A., & Haque, I. (2023). Examining the Mediating Effect of Online Engagement and Online Reviews: The Influence of Influencer Credibility on Consumer Purchase Intentions. Pakistan Business Review, 24(4). https://doi.org/10.22555/pbr.v24i4.872.
    21. Ao, L., Bansal, R., Pruthi, N., & Khaskheli, M. B. (2023). Impact of Social Media Influencers on Customer Engagement and Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis. Sustainability, 15(3), 2744. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032744.
    22. Zheng, S. (2023). An Empirical Study on the Effects of Information Characteristics in Influencer Marketing on Consumers’ Purchase Intention. Advances in Economics and Management Research, 8(1), 179. https://doi.org/10.56028/aemr.8.1.179.2023.
    23. Pick, M. (2020). Psychological Ownership in Social Media Influencer Marketing. European Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-08-2019-0165.
    24. Qureshi, M. A., Shahzadi, S., & Hussain, T. (2024). Exploring the Role of Influencers' Perceived Fraud Between Influencers' Credibility and Con-sumer Purchase Intentions. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2024.v9i1.4313

  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Chaturvedi , S. ., & Sangwan , D. S. . (2025). The Impact of Influencer Attributes on Consumer Buying Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived Credibility and Consumer Engagement. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(2), 114-120. https://doi.org/10.14419/cw7knh40