Investigating the impact of influencer credibility dimensions: attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, similarity, and sponsorship disclosure on purchase intention: a case study on YouTube

Abstract

This study examines how social media influencers' credibility (attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, similarity, and sponsorship disclosure) affects purchase intention (PI) among YouTube customers in Egypt, using followers' e-WOM as the mediating variable. Proposed research concept model based on source credibility theory & deductions from previous literature on social media influencer marketing. A quantitative research methodology was employed to collect data from Egyptian customers via an online questionnaire, which yielded 756 replies, 749 of which were fully completed to be regarded as legitimate responses. SPSS 25 and PLS-SEM were used to analyse and report the data. The data fit well and showed that perceived attractiveness, similarity, and sponsorship disclosure affect e-WOM and purchase intention. E-WOM also boosts purchase intent. Perceived trustworthiness affects purchasing intention, while perceived expertise affects e-WOM. Also, e-WOM did not mediate perceived trustworthiness, perceived similarity, or purchase intention. This study only collected data from Egyptian YouTubers. Therefore, obtaining data from other YouTubers would yield more generalizable results. Contemplating more, examining the mediating role of other variables, such as online engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty programs, could also offer additional insights into the nature of the factors impacting the PI. Finally, an experiment on Egyptian YouTubers' reputations might yield better results, but none of them allowed the survey instrument to be shared on their official sites. Future studies should examine the effects of using many social media platforms. The data imply that consumers trust influencers with extensive product or service knowledge over those with a physical appeal.