Impact of Consumer Trust on E-commerce Purchase Intentions: The Role of Influencer Marketing

Abstract

The widespread growth of social commerce has added pressure to the purpose of influencer marketing in the formation of consumer trust and online purchasing intentions. Although its relevance has increased over the years, the psychological processes that influence cues created by influencers to trigger e-commerce purchase intentions are inadequately theorized. Based on the Stimulus–Organism Response (SOR) framework, this literature suggests an integrative framework where the influencer credibility, message credibility, and media credibility form external stimuli that determine the trusts of consumers in influencer posts and cause a desire to purchase as internal organismic responses. These processes eventually affect the intentions of using e-commerce in the purchase decision. The meaning of trust as a mediator transforming credibility cues into actions is further conceptualized by trust theory and persuasion knowledge theory. Also, consumer experience is included in the moderating variables since it will help facilitate or undermine the adoption of trust in purchase-based behaviors. This study builds upon existing literature in digital marketing where trust formation is identified as one of the most significant processes in which influencer-based messages influence consumer choice processes on the Internet. The results have significant implications on marketers, e-commerce sites, and policymakers aiming at developing convincing, honest, and trust improving online communication channels.