Objective
The aim of this study is to identify and explain the process of trust formation in online buying and selling on Instagram. The main issue is how trust is constructed in conditions where there is no direct acquaintance or face-to-face interaction among users, and based on what criteria and mechanisms individuals engage in economic exchanges. In fact, the central question is how users, in a context characterized by relative anonymity and the absence of formal guarantees, come to trust others and carry out economic transactions. Considering the expanding role of social networks as one of the most important channels of e-commerce, the increasing prevalence of socially mediated purchasing, and the importance of trust as a prerequisite for forming stable relationships, this study seeks to analyze the social and perceptual mechanisms of trust in this context and to explain the processes of its formation, reinforcement, and erosion.
Research Methodology
This study was conducted within the interpretive paradigm using a qualitative approach and the grounded theory method. The aim of this approach is to uncover concepts and relationships emerging from the lived experiences of participants rather than to test predetermined hypotheses. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 22 users who had experience of online shopping on Instagram. The inclusion criterion was having actual experience of purchasing on this platform. Sampling was purposive and theoretical, and it continued alongside data analysis until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was carried out based on Strauss and Corbin’s coding procedure in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. In the open coding stage, the data were broken down into smaller meaning units and 71 initial concepts were extracted. In the axial coding stage, these concepts were organized into 24 subcategories and 5 main categories, and the relationships among them were examined. Finally, in the selective coding stage, the core category was identified and the paradigmatic model of the study was developed, in which the relationships among causal, contextual, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences were explained.
Findings
The findings showed that trust in Instagram-based buying and selling is a networked, multi-level, and dynamic phenomenon that can be explained through the concept of the “dynamic reproduction of trust in the platform-based trade ecosystem.” This trust is formed under causal conditions described as the “initial construction of trust based on identity and network cues.” In initial encounters with sellers’ pages, users infer trust based on indicators such as the popularity of the page, the clarity of the seller’s identity, the presence of contact information, continuous activity, the number of followers and its consistency with engagement levels, the quality of product presentation, and user feedback. This initial trust is not based on direct experience but is formed through the interpretation of observable cues and plays a decisive role in entering economic interaction.Subsequently, “perceptual mediators of trust in the platform context” function as intervening conditions. At this stage, trust is shaped through the interpretation of informational and visual representations. Factors such as honesty in presenting information, consistency in product representation, responsiveness, respectful behavior of the seller, professional content management, and perceived security of financial transactions contribute to strengthening trust. In contrast, lack of transparency, exaggerated advertising, unreasonable pricing, delayed responses, and mismatch between the product and customer expectations lead to distrust and reduce willingness to purchase. Moreover, the “structural capacities of the Instagram platform in facilitating trust” were identified as contextual conditions. Features such as viewing comments, stories, and highlights, the possibility of network interaction, the production and representation of visual content, and the ability to review the seller’s past activities help users evaluate the trustworthiness of others in the absence of face-to-face interaction. In addition, the growth of online shops and the social legitimacy of Instagram as a marketplace play an important role in strengthening trust.At the level of strategies, “regulatory and social mechanisms of trust production” were identified, including institutional regulation, users’ network-based self-regulation, and voluntary actions by sellers. Users contribute to regulating trust through feedback, consultation, reporting, and introducing reliable or unreliable pages. Sellers, in turn, engage in legitimacy-building through actions such as transparency, providing accurate information, and presenting their real identity.Finally, the outcome of this process is the “cyclical reproduction of trust or distrust in digital consumer behavior.” Positive experiences lead to satisfaction, repeat purchases, loyalty, increased sense of security, and reduced perceived risk. In contrast, negative experiences result in erosion of trust, increased caution, decreased willingness to purchase, and the spread of distrust among other users.
Discussion & Conclusion
The results indicate that trust in the Instagram environment is not a fixed individual decision but a dynamic, networked, and socio-cognitively constructed process that emerges under conditions of uncertainty and the absence of face-to-face interaction. This trust is the outcome of the interaction among identity and network cues, perceptual mediators, structural capacities of the platform, and regulatory and social mechanisms. Trust is continuously reproduced, strengthened, or eroded through users’ positive or negative experiences and is transmitted to others through social networks. Therefore, trust in this context is not a stable state but an ongoing process of social production, reproduction, and erosion that enables economic action in an environment characterized by uncertainty.