The Role of Social Media Influencers in University Students Purchase Decisions in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the role played by social media influencers in determining university students’ consumer decisions-making process in Saudi Arabia. In addition, it aimed to identify which of the influencer characteristics, attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness, contribute the most to student choices. The study was conducted on a total of 509 students from different Saudi universities who were purposively selected based on the student population. It was found that attractiveness and expertise were the most critical factors in purchasing decisions, and trustworthiness was second. While having an impact, the influence of trustworthiness was not as direct as the influence of attractiveness and expertise. This paper is novel in that it focuses on the student population of Saudi Arabia, which is not seen in previous research on influencer marketing. This study also analysed the comprehensive audience appeal of different dimensions of attribution on consumer behaviour in the scintillating digital environment studied.

Keywords: Social Media Influencers, Trustworthiness, Expertise, Attractiveness, Consumer Decision-Making Process

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