Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of social media (SM) influencers
on the purchase intentions of online clothing consumers. The study also aims to
identify the extent to which the content and attractiveness of SM influencers can
affect purchase intentions. The study adopts an explanatory approach, applying a
quantitative design where a cross-sectional field study was conducted amongst 250
consumers residing in Western province. The research involved a questionnaire in
collecting primary data using a convenient sampling method and statistical analysis
using SPSS, descriptive statistic tools, and multiple regression. The findings revealed
a significant positive impact of influencers’ content and attractiveness on the
purchase intentions and asserted the SM influencers’ impact on the purchase
intention of online clothing consumers. Further, the result suggests that it is
paramount for marketers to understand their online consumers and identify SM
influencers with the most suitable attributes to target their audience. The present
paper bridges an empirical gap given the dearth of studies conducted to comprehend
the impact of SM influencers’ content and attractiveness on purchase intentions of
online clothing consumers in Sri Lanka, where the study emphasizes a higher impact
of Influencers’ content over attractiveness on online purchase intent. The findings of
the study are imperative for marketers in the clothing industry to understand how
influencer marketing contributes to consumer purchase intent while aiding
influencers themselves to recognize how consumers perceive influencers and alter
their behaviour to endorse products better
