The effects of social media influencers' self-disclosure on behavioral intentions: The role of source credibility, parasocial relationships, and brand trust

We investigate the effects of social media influencers' (SMIs) intimate self-disclosure (ISD) on consumers' intent to purchase products from an endorsed brand through the underlying mechanisms of source credibility, parasocial relationships, and brand trust. The results of a survey with 433 participants indicated that high levels of ISD by SMIs can enhance consumers' intention to purchase the products of an endorsed brand and that a parasocial relationship with an SMI has a stronger effect on consumers' behavioral intentions than source credibility. The findings suggest that marketing managers should consider SMIs' ISD and their relationship with their followers to develop consistent marketing strategies.