DIGITAL INFLUENCE AND CONSUMER CHOICE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS IN SKINCARE PURCHASES

Abstract

The rapid growth of social media platforms has significantly transformed consumer buying behaviour in the skincare industry. Social media influencers have emerged
as powerful digital opinion leaders who influence consumer perceptions, trust, and purchase decisions through online content, product reviews, and brand endorsements.
The present study aims to analyse the role of social media influencers in influencing skincare purchase intention among consumers in Chennai. The study specifically
examines the influence of influencer credibility, content quality, and social media engagement on consumer trust and skincare purchase intention.
The study adopted a quantitative research approach and primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 128 respondents using convenience
sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS software.
Reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, structural model assessment, and mediation analysis were performed to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings
of the study revealed that influencer credibility, content quality, and social media engagement significantly and positively influence consumer trust. Further, consumer
trust was found to significantly influence skincare purchase intention and mediate the relationship between influencer marketing factors and purchase intention. The
study concludes that social media influencers play a crucial role in shaping consumer choice and skincare buying behaviour in the digital marketing environment.