Analysing the social media influencers’ impact on Maltese online users’ purchase behaviour

Abstract

Due to the major technological advancements and the rapid adoption of Internet usage, many businesses have been forced to learn to incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. Many consumers are now turning to online methods of searching and purchasing products and services. One development that has emerged from this revolution is the ‘social media influencer’ (SMI), a ‘normal’ person who rose to ‘celebrity-like’ status. This study uses Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour (1991) to explore the consumers’ attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control towards social media influencer marketing.

The methodology involved a web-based survey questionnaire that was disseminated through social media and email. There were 111 respondents who participated in this study. The findings suggest that Maltese online users are following the social media influencers. They consider them as a point of reference, as they are influencing their online behaviours. This study indicated that there were positive and significant relationships between the online users’ information and evaluation and their purchase intention. Moreover, the Theory of Planned Behaviour was validated as all hypotheses were reported to be positive and significant. The researcher also presented her implications of this research as she discussed the potential limitations of the study. In conclusion, she puts forward her recommendations for future studies in the area of social media influencer marketing.