Examining the Effect of Social Media Celebrities and Para-social Relationships with them on the Intention to buy of Followers (Case Study: Instagram Social Media)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc. Student, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.

2 Assistant Prof., Department of Business Management, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.

Abstract

Objective
Today, the internet's penetration rate in people's lives has significantly increased and become a focal point. The online environment serves as an ideal platform for information exchange, content dissemination, and connecting individuals. Social media platforms and applications enable people to communicate and collaborate efficiently with each other, making them an effective way to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in the use of social media, and people are more inclined to obtain information about products and services through social technologies, providing users with the opportunity to display various behavioral aspects. Among social media platforms, Instagram is one of the most popular applications for sharing videos and photos. Social media celebrities are individuals with a large following and strong social influence on social media platforms. These celebrities, in addition to promoting brands and products on their channels, also endorse values and lifestyles. Instagram encourages its users to identification, self-identify, and idealize, prompting them to imitate famous individuals in areas such as fashion, makeup, nutrition, and more to keep up with others and find their place. An excessive desire for conformity with social media celebrities can lead to over-idealization. Continuous interaction and identification of social media celebrities are referred to as a para-social relationship. Researchers have claimed that para -social relationships with digital celebrities lead to an increased intention to purchase, given the growing trend and growth of online purchases as a substitute for traditional shopping. Examining the influential components on online shopping and the stimulants of intention to purchase for followers of celebrities is essential.
Therefore, our goal in this research is to investigate the impact of social media celebrities and para -social relationships with them on the intention to purchase among Instagram users in Iran.
Research Methodology
This study is descriptive and correlational in nature, based on the data collection method. Given that the research aims to obtain results for problem-solving, it is considered applied research. Data was collected in the field. The study population consisted of all Iranians who are active on Instagram and follow social media celebrities. Since the study population is unlimited, according to the Morgan table, the minimum sample size should be 384 individuals. The sample size was 430 individuals, which was analyzed. A 21-item questionnaire, adapted from existing standard questionnaires and modified by several university professors, was used to measure the research. The measurement tools included the social media celebrity variable from Reich's questionnaire (1997), the para -social relationship variable from Uter's questionnaire (1992), the identfication variable from Basil's questionnaire (1996), the social media platform variable from Leong, Jaffar, and Ainin's questionnaire (2018), and the intention to purchase variable from Zitamol, Bree, and Parasuraman's questionnaire (1996). The questionnaire items were rated using a 5-point Likert scale.
Findings
Descriptive and inferential findings of this research were analyzed using SPSS and PLS software. Both Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were used for reliability, and all variables were confirmed based on the obtained values. For validity, the mean variance extracted of all items was above 0.5. Convergent and discriminant validity were also confirmed.
To test the structural model fit, two criteria, the coefficient of determination (R^2) and predictive relevance (Q^2), were used, which were appropriate based on the necessary standards. The goodness of fit (GOF) criterion was used to assess the overall model fit, with a value of 0.625, indicating a strong fit, confirming the overall model fit.
Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in the SmartPLS software. Ten hypotheses were examined. Based on the T-statistic values obtained at a 5% significance level, and as these values were greater than 1.96, the following hypotheses were confirmed:

There is a positive and significant relationship between social media celebrities and para -social relationships (t=31.157).
There is a positive and significant relationship between social media celebrities and followers' identfication (t=8.138).
There is a positive and significant relationship between social media celebrities and followers' intention to purchase (t=2.743).
There is a positive and significant relationship between para -social relationships with social media celebrities and followers' identfication (t=10.330).
There is a positive and significant relationship between followers' identfication and social media celebrities and their intention to purchase (t=4.213).
There is a positive and significant relationship between the use of social media platforms and followers' intention to purchase (t=5.854).
The use of social media platforms moderates the impact of social media celebrities on followers' intention to purchase (t=3.317).

However, the following hypotheses were not confirmed as the T-statistic values were less than 1.96:

The use of social media platforms moderates the impact of para -social relationships on followers' intention to purchase (t=1.505).
The use of social media platforms moderates the impact of followers' identfication on their intention to purchase (t=0.211).
There is a positive and significant relationship between para -social relationships with social media celebrities and followers' intention to purchase (t=0.523).

Discussion & Conclusion
Followers spend a significant amount of time searching for information about their favorite celebrities and products or services recommended by those celebrities on social media platforms. Based on the findings regarding Instagram, we confirm that this platform is an effective and essential tool for marketers and advertisers to promote their products, services, and brands to their target audience. We recommend that managers and marketers in various industries recognize the potential of using social media and social media platforms, pay more attention to customer emotions, as customer interaction significantly affects their satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth advertising, ultimately influencing their intention to purchase. Through celebrities, create the necessary grounds for reminding and evoking their brand, and positively endorsing their brand and products, which leads to positive word-of-mouth advertising, cost savings in marketing, and time-saving.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

 
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Media Management Review
Volume 2, Issue 1
2023
Pages 86-109

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