Impact of Social Media Influencer Marketing on Impulse Buying Behaviour of Online Consumers

Abstract

The phenomenal growth of social media has given birth to an entirely new form of marketing communication, one where everyday individual with large online followings wields considerable power over the purchase decisions of their audiences. This study examines the impact of social media influencer marketing on the impulse buying behaviour of online consumers in the Indian digital marketplace. Using a structured questionnaire administered to 110 active social media users who engage with influencer content, the research employs percentage analysis, chi-square tests, and Spearman's correlation to analyse the data. The findings indicate that influencer credibility, content relatability, frequency of sponsored posts, and the perceived authenticity of endorsements are the primary drivers of unplanned purchase decisions among digital consumers. The study reveals that a substantial proportion of respondents have made impulsive online purchases within minutes or hours of viewing influencer content, particularly short-form video endorsements on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. The chisquare analysis establishes a statistically significant association between the type of influencer followed and the frequency of impulse purchases. In contrast, the correlation analysis confirms a strong positive relationship between influencer trust and unplanned buying behaviour. The research concludes that, when executed with authenticity and strategic intent, influencer marketing is a powerful catalyst for impulse purchases in the digital consumer landscape. Recommendations are offered to brands, content creators, and platform administrators for designing ethical and effective influencer-led campaigns.