THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS ON ONLINE CLOTHING CONSUMERS’ PURCHASE INTENTION

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