THE ROLE OF INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

This project examines the direct influence of influencer credibility on consumer purchasing behaviour in the setting of social media marketing. Despite the growing popularity of influencer marketing, there is a lack of quantitative information about the effect of influencer credibility alone on purchase decisions. This research aimed to assess the strength and direction of this association without introducing mediation and moderation variables. A structured questionnaire was sent to 300 respondents, and the data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The sample includes 44% male and 56% female participants, mostly aged between 18 and 35 years old, and mostly holding bachelor's or master's degrees. Reliability analysis demonstrated good internal consistency for both constructs (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87 and 0.83 for influencer credibility and consumer buying behaviour, respectively). The descriptive results revealed that trust (M = 3.88, SD = 0.57) and the buying behaviour of small and medium enterprises were moderate to high (M = 3.76, SD = 0.61). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations (r = 0.68, p < 0.001), while regression analysis indicated that influencer credibility is a significant predictor of consumer buying behaviour (β = 0.682, t = 14.63, p < 0.001, R² = 0.465). These results suggest that credible influencers influence consumer purchase decisions. Marketers should form partnerships with genuine and trusted influencers to increase trust among consumers and engagement with their brand.