Abstract:

The advent of SMIs has primarily altered the means business connect with their prospects and customers. Currently, many SNSs enables SMIs to endorse the products, share opinions, provide feedback, and communicate with their followers either publicly or privately. This research aims to determine the mediating effect of loyalty of followers towards the influencer and ascribed opinion leadership on SMIs dimensions (expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness) and purchase intention relationship from the perspective of Instagram users in India. To measure the objective, the study acquired responses from 250 Indian Instagram users in the age group of 18-24. Results indicated that the purchase intention of followers is positively influenced by expertise, trustworthiness, ascribed opinion leadership, and loyalty of followers towards the influencer dimensions. Here, ascribed opinion leadership and loyalty of followers towards the influencer acts as an effective arbitrator between SMIs dimensions (expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness) and purchase intention relationship. The study suggests that before engaging SMI to promote the brand, the companies should understand the perception of followers towards the influencer in terms of expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness dimensions.

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