The effect of parasocial interaction and phenomenon credibility on purchase intention in influencer marketing: a study on TikTok followers

This study aims to reveal whether source credibility and its sub-dimensions, parasocial interaction, and online self-presentation affect the purchase intentions of TikTok followers in the context of influencer marketing, considering that social media has become an integral part of our lives. In the study, the convenience sampling method, a non-random sampling method, was used. Data collection was conducted online. Questions created in Google Forms reached 439 participants across Turkey, and 384 responses were deemed suitable for analysis. The findings of the research indicate that source credibility partially affects purchase intention. Specifically, the trustworthiness dimension of source credibility does not affect purchase intention, while the expertise and attractiveness dimensions significantly influence purchase intention. Furthermore, the hypothesis analysis of the parasocial interaction shows a positive and highly significant effect on TikTok followers' purchase intentions. Lastly, the results of our online self-presentation hypothesis indicate a negative effect. Thus, the study can be considered a new perspective in the academic and business worlds regarding TikTok.