The Influence of Tiktok Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Ewom and Vicarious Expression

reza

The Influence of Tiktok Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Ewom and Vicarious Expression

Date Published : 10 September 2026

Contributors

reza

university of siliwangi

Corresponding Author

Keywords

Influencer Credibility Vicarious Expression eWOM Purchase Intention Social Media Marketing

Proceeding

Vol. 1 (2025): International Seminar and Conference on Management, Research, and Transformation (I-SMART 1.0)

Track

General Track

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

In today’s digital landscape, TikTok has become one of the most influential platforms shaping how consumers interact with brands and influencers. This study aims to examine the effect of TikTok influencer credibility on purchase intention, emphasizing the mediating roles of vicarious expression and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). As emotional closeness and parasocial relationships between audiences and influencers continue to strengthen, understanding the psychological mechanisms that drive consumer purchasing behavior on social media becomes increasingly important. A quantitative research approach was employed using a survey method involving 250 Generation Z respondents in Indonesia who actively follow TikTok influencers promoting products. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling, ensuring they had prior exposure to influencer marketing content. The collected data were analyzed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships among variables and assess the overall model fit. The findings reveal that influencer credibility has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. Moreover, both vicarious expression and eWOM significantly mediate this relationship. When audiences perceive influencers as credible based on their trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness they tend to experience emotional involvement through vicarious expression and are more likely to spread positive eWOM. These behaviors collectively enhance consumers’ purchase intentions toward the products recommended by influencers. This study contributes to the social media marketing literature by highlighting the psychological and communicative pathways that connect influencer credibility to consumer purchase behavior. Practically, the results provide insights for marketers to develop authentic, credible, and emotionally engaging influencer strategies on TikTok.

References

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How to Cite

The Influence of Tiktok Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Ewom and Vicarious Expression (R. . zulfahmi, Trans.). (2026). International Seminar and Conference on Management, Research, and Transformation (I-SMART), 1, 639-648. https://conference.unsil.ac.id/ismart/paper/view/148