Impact of Social Media Influencer Marketing on Consumer Purchase Behaviour: An Empirical Study with Reference to Bhopal City

Abstract

Social media's explosive growth has drastically changed how companies interact with their customers. Because of their capacity to provide engaging, interactive, and customised content, social media influencers have become crucial middlemen between companies and consumers. With a focus on Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the current research investigates how social media influencer marketing affects consumer purchasing behaviour. Influencer reputation, content authenticity, relatability, and the frequency of exposure to influencer-generated promotional material have all received special attention. A descriptive and empirical research design is used in the study. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather primary data from sixty Bhopal-based social media users. The method used to choose the respondents was convenience sampling. The data was interpreted using regression analysis, Pearson's correlation, mean, standard deviation, and percentage analysis. The results show that customer purchasing behaviour is positively correlated with influencer relatability, authenticity, and credibility. Promotional material focused only on the popularity or beauty of influencers was proven to be less successful than genuine and reliable product recommendations. Additionally, the data shows that customers who are often exposed to material created by influencers have comparatively higher buy inclinations. In general, customer purchasing behaviour is positively impacted by social media influencer marketing. According to the survey, marketers should concentrate on relevant and trustworthy influencers whose audience and content align with the features of the target market and advertised product.