11th International Conference on ICTIS

Authors - Priyanka Halder, Anupam Sinha
Abstract - This study analyzes the extent to which credibility from influencers impacts consumers' buying behavior. The focus will be on how the intention to buy impacts this relationship as the problem is being analyzed in the context of social commerce on TikTok. The study is developed within the framework of Source Credibility Theory which suggests that consumers’ perception and consequent behavior are influenced by the perceived degree of the spokesperson’s Attractiveness, Trustworthiness, and Expertise. The study employs a quantitative explanatory methodology. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from a sample of 100 active TikTok users who follow the provided influencer. The analyzed relationships will be quantified using Structural Equation Modelling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The research results concluded that influencer credibility increases the intention to buy, but does not increase the purchasing decision. The intention to buy completely mediates the relationship between influencer credibility and purchasing decision. This demonstrates that influencer credibility is a significant factor in the intention to buy behavior, but it is the intention that is essential in order to convert the persuasive influence into actual buying behavior. The study contributes to digital marketing communication research by extending Source Credibility Theory to the context of short-video social commerce platforms.