Instagram influencer marketing: Perceived social media marketing activities and online impulse buying

Authors

  • Kian Yeik Koay Sunway University
  • Chai Wen Teoh Sunway University
  • Patrick Chin-Hooi Soh Multimedia University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v26i9.11598

Keywords:

Instafamous, Instagram influencers, Perceived social media marketing activities, Online impulse buying

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to investigate the impact of social media marketing activities — restricted only to Instagram influencers — on online impulse buying through the mediating effect of source credibility (attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness), predicated on Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory. The hypothesised relationships were examined using cross-sectional data obtained from 273 Instagram users. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using the SMART-PLS software was employed as the primary data analysis method. The results revealed that the perceived social media marketing activities of Instagram influencers have a significant positive influence on the perceptions of followers pertaining to all three dimensions of source credibility (attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness). In turn, only attractiveness and trustworthiness were found to have a significant positive influence on online impulse buying. Moreover, this study revealed that it was the perceived attractiveness and trustworthiness of Instagram influencers that were the influential mediating factors in the relationship between perceived social media marketing activities and online impulse buying. There is a dearth of studies that have been conducted on the examination of the mechanism through which Instagram influencers’ social media marketing activities influence online impulse buying. This study is significant as it provides new insights into the importance of Instagram influencers social media marketing activities in affecting followers’ online impulse buying through source credibility.

Author Biographies

Kian Yeik Koay, Sunway University

Kian Yeik Koay is a Lecturer at the Department of Marketing of Sunway University Business School, Sunway University, Malaysia. He completed his PhD at Monash University Malaysia. Articles authored by him have been published in reputed international journals, such as Journal of Business Research, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Journal of Cleaner Production, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Behaviour & Information Technology, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Internet Research, Telematics and Informatics, and First Monday, among others.

Chai Wen Teoh, Sunway University

Chai Wen Teoh is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Marketing of Sunway University Business School, Sunway University, Malaysia. Her main research interest is sustainable consumption, branding, and social media marketing. She has presented both in local and international conferences including AMA Academic Conferences, ANZMAC, APacCHRIE & EuroCHRIE. Her work has been published in refereed journals and international conference papers including Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal.

Patrick Chin-Hooi Soh, Multimedia University

Patrick Chin-Hooi Soh is a senior lecturer and the Head of Department for the IT and Law Unit in the Faculty of Management, Multimedia University, Malaysia. He has over 15 years of IT industrial working experience in Singapore. He is a recipient of research awards and a member of the Editorial Review Board for the International Journal of Management, Economics and Accounting. Patrick has published almost 50 publications including several Web of Science Tier 1 journals such as Telematics and Informatics and Information, Communication & Society. His research interest is in fintech, social media marketing, cyberloafing and internet addiction.

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Published

2021-08-18

How to Cite

Koay, K. Y., Teoh, C. W., & Soh, P. C.-H. (2021). Instagram influencer marketing: Perceived social media marketing activities and online impulse buying. First Monday, 26(9). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v26i9.11598