IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i19p10919-d647843.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Influencers on Social Media as References: Understanding the Importance of Parasocial Relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Bo-Chiuan Su

    (Department of Information Management, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 974301, Taiwan)

  • Li-Wei Wu

    (Department of International Business, Tunghai University, Taichung City 407224, Taiwan)

  • Yevvon-Yi-Chi Chang

    (Department of Hospitality Management, Tunghai University, Taichung City 407224, Taiwan)

  • Ruo-Hao Hong

    (Global Master of Business Administration Program, Tunghai University, Taichung City 407224, Taiwan)

Abstract

Audiences’ purchase intentions are vital to the success of influencers on social media. This research examined how interpersonal attraction enhances parasocial relationships (PSRs) between influencers and audiences on social media, and how such parasocial relationships, in turn, affect audiences’ continuance intention. Interpersonal attraction contains three dimensions: task attraction, social attraction, and physical attraction. The results indicated that the three dimensions of interpersonal attraction significantly affected PSRs. The results also showed that informational influence and perceived credibility strengthened the relationship between PSRs and purchase intentions. Moreover, online comments positively moderated the effect of PSRs on informational influence and perceived credibility. The implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Bo-Chiuan Su & Li-Wei Wu & Yevvon-Yi-Chi Chang & Ruo-Hao Hong, 2021. "Influencers on Social Media as References: Understanding the Importance of Parasocial Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:10919-:d:647843
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/10919/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rajagopal, 2015. "Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Butterfly Effect in Competitive Markets, chapter 2, pages 30-65, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Bearden, William O & Netemeyer, Richard G & Teel, Jesse E, 1989. "Measurement of Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(4), pages 473-481, March.
    3. Lee, Jung Eun & Watkins, Brandi, 2016. "YouTube vloggers' influence on consumer luxury brand perceptions and intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5753-5760.
    4. Rowan Daneels & Steven Malliet & Lieven Geerts & Natalie Denayer & Michel Walrave & Heidi Vandebosch, 2021. "Assassins, Gods, and Androids: How Narratives and Game Mechanics Shape Eudaimonic Game Experiences," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(1), pages 49-61.
    5. Michal Carrington & Benjamin Neville & Gregory Whitwell, 2010. "Why Ethical Consumers Don’t Walk Their Talk: Towards a Framework for Understanding the Gap Between the Ethical Purchase Intentions and Actual Buying Behaviour of Ethically Minded Consumers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 139-158, November.
    6. Verónica Policarpo, 2015. "What Is a Friend? An Exploratory Typology of the Meanings of Friendship," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Viswanath Venkatesh & Fred D. Davis, 2000. "A Theoretical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four Longitudinal Field Studies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(2), pages 186-204, February.
    8. Wang, Xia & Yu, Chunling & Wei, Yujie, 2012. "Social Media Peer Communication and Impacts on Purchase Intentions: A Consumer Socialization Framework," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 198-208.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sesar, Vesna & Martinčević, Ivana & Hunjet, Anica, 2022. "How Influencer Credibility and Advertising Disclosure affects Purchase Intention," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2022), Hybrid Conference, Opatija, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Hybrid Conference, Opatija, Croatia, 17-18 June 2022, pages 248-263, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    2. Gennaro Civero & Vincenzo Rusciano & Debora Scarpato & Mariarosaria Simeone, 2021. "Food: Not Only Safety, but Also Sustainability. The Emerging Trend of New Social Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Cole Vaughn & Kathleen Sherman-Morris & Philip Poe, 2023. "Factors influencing retweeting of local news media tweets during Hurricane Irma," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 119(1), pages 583-611, October.
    4. Beata Zatwarnicka-Madura & Robert Nowacki & Iwona Wojciechowska, 2022. "Influencer Marketing as a Tool in Modern Communication—Possibilities of Use in Green Energy Promotion amongst Poland’s Generation Z," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-22, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bhukya, Ramulu & Paul, Justin, 2023. "Social influence research in consumer behavior: What we learned and what we need to learn? – A hybrid systematic literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    2. Kee-Young Kwahk & Byoungsoo Kim, 2017. "Effects of social media on consumers’ purchase decisions: evidence from Taobao," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 11(4), pages 803-829, December.
    3. Isaac Kofi Mensah & Guohua Zeng & Chuanyong Luo, 2023. "Determinants of Social Commerce Purchase and Recommendation Intentions Within the Context of Swift Guanxi Among Chinese College Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    4. Shan-Shan Liao & Ching-Yuan Lin & Ying-Ji Chuang & Xing-Zheng Xie, 2020. "The Role of Social Capital for Short-Video Platform Users’ Travel Intentions: SEM and Fsqca Findings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, May.
    5. Muhammad Sarmad & Naeem Ahmad & Muhammad Khan & Muhammad Irfan & Hajira Atta, 2020. "Investigating the Moderating Role of Trust between Social Media Capabilities and Consumer Brand Engagement Across Textile Sector of Pakistan," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 10(4), pages 53-62.
    6. Akram, Umair & Junaid, Muhammad & Zafar, Abaid Ullah & Li, Zhiwen & Fan, Mingyue, 2021. "Online purchase intention in Chinese social commerce platforms: Being emotional or rational?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Arif Hasan & S. K. Gupta, 2020. "Exploring Tourists’ Behavioural Intentions Towards Use of Select Mobile Wallets for Digital Payments," Paradigm, , vol. 24(2), pages 177-194, December.
    8. Anil Khurana & V. V. Ravi Kumar & Manish Sidhpuria, 2020. "A Study on the Adoption of Electric Vehicles in India: The Mediating Role of Attitude," Vision, , vol. 24(1), pages 23-34, March.
    9. Jaydeep Mukherjee, 2016. "A comprehensive framework for adoption of mobile broadband services in Indian cities," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 6(1), pages 9-25, January.
    10. Hoffmann, Stefan & Lasarov, Wassili & Reimers, Hanna, 2022. "Carbon footprint tracking apps. What drives consumers' adoption intention?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    11. Fernandes, Semila & Venkatesh, V.G. & Panda, Rajesh & Shi, Yangyan, 2021. "Measurement of factors influencing online shopper buying decisions: A scale development and validation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    12. Alraja, Mansour, 2022. "Frontline healthcare providers’ behavioural intention to Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled healthcare applications: A gender-based, cross-generational study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    13. Pookulangara, Sanjukta & Koesler, Kristian, 2011. "Cultural influence on consumers' usage of social networks and its' impact on online purchase intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 348-354.
    14. Sharma, Varinder M. & Klein, Andreas, 2020. "Consumer perceived value, involvement, trust, susceptibility to interpersonal influence, and intention to participate in online group buying," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    15. Shirazi, Farid & Hajli, Nick & Sims, Julian & Lemke, Fred, 2022. "The role of social factors in purchase journey in the social commerce era," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    16. Jin, S. Venus & Ryu, Ehri, 2020. "“I'll buy what she's #wearing†: The roles of envy toward and parasocial interaction with influencers in Instagram celebrity-based brand endorsement and social commerce," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    17. Yan, Min & Filieri, Raffaele & Raguseo, Elisabetta & Gorton, Matthew, 2021. "Mobile apps for healthy living: Factors influencing continuance intention for health apps," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    18. Ladhari, Riadh & Massa, Elodie & Skandrani, Hamida, 2020. "YouTube vloggers’ popularity and influence: The roles of homophily, emotional attachment, and expertise," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    19. Payal S. Kapoor & K.R. Jayasimha & Ashish Sadh, 2013. "Brand-related, Consumer to Consumer, Communication via Social Media," IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, , vol. 2(1), pages 43-59, January.
    20. Schaer, Oliver & Kourentzes, Nikolaos & Fildes, Robert, 2019. "Demand forecasting with user-generated online information," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 197-212.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:10919-:d:647843. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.