Influencer Credibility and Attractiveness:  Consumer Trust Driving Purchase Intention

budi setyanta; Eni Andari

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.6162

budi setyanta Universitas Janabadra Yogyakarta
Eni Andari Universitas Janabadra Yogyakarta

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.6162

Keywords: influencer credibility, influencer attractiveness, consumer trust, purchase intention, influencer marketing

Abstract

Social media influencer marketing has become an important digital marketing strategy; however, existing studies provide inconsistent findings regarding whether influencer characteristics directly influence consumer purchase intention. This study aims to examine the effects of influencer credibility and influencer attractiveness on purchase intention by investigating consumer trust as a mediating mechanism in the Indonesian market context. Using a quantitative approach, this study collected data from 577 respondents aged 18–60 years who actively engage with influencer content on social media. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that influencer credibility does not significantly influence consumer trust or purchase intention, while influencer attractiveness significantly affects consumer trust and purchase intention. Furthermore, consumer trust has a strong positive effect on purchase intention and functions as an important mechanism in explaining consumer responses toward influencer marketing. This study contributes to influencer marketing literature by demonstrating that influencer characteristics do not automatically generate consumer behavior but operate through trust-based psychological processes. The findings provide new insights for brands in developing influencer selection and digital marketing strategies in emerging markets such as Indonesia.

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