Examining Customer Engagement In Linking Social Media Content Quality, Influencer Credibility, And Purchase Intention
Keywords:
Social Media Content Quality; Influencer Credibility; Customer Engagement; Purchase Intention; MSMEs
Abstract
This study examines the mediating role of customer engagement in the relationships between social media content quality, influencer credibility, and purchase intention toward MSME products in West Java. In digital marketing, platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have become important promotional channels for MSMEs, making content quality and influencer credibility key factors shaping consumer responses. This study used a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire from 200 respondents in West Java who actively use Instagram or TikTok, had seen MSME promotions in the last three months, and had been exposed to influencer-based promotions. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results show that social media content quality and influencer credibility have positive and significant effects on customer engagement and purchase intention. Customer engagement also positively influences purchase intention and significantly mediates the effects of social media content quality and influencer credibility on purchase intention, indicating partial mediation. Social media content quality has the strongest effect on customer engagement, while influencer credibility has the strongest direct effect on purchase intention. These findings highlight the importance of content quality, credible influencers, and customer engagement in improving MSME marketing effectiveness.References
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C. Adinda, E. Listiana, B. Barkah, and A. Fitriana, “The influence of social media marketing on purchase intention with customer engagement as mediator,” Journal of Management Science (JMAS), vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 74–83, Jan. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://exsys.iocspublisher.org/index.php/JMAS/article/view/575
S. Singh, D. S. Chaubey, R. Raj, V. Kumar, M. Paliwal, and S. Mahlawat, “Social media communication, consumer attitude and purchase intention in lifestyle category products: a PLS-SEM modeling,” Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 272–296, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.1108/MIP-11-2023-0626.
W. M. Lim and T. Rasul, “Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 148, pp. 325–342, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.068.
E. C. Waworuntu, D. W. Mandagi, and A. S. Pangemanan, “‘I See It, I Want It, I Buy It’: The Role of Social Media Marketing in Shaping Brand Image and Gen Z’s Intention to Purchase Local Product,” Society, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 351–369, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.33019/society.v10i2.463.
M. Pan, M. Blut, A. Ghiassaleh, and Z. W. Y. Lee, “Influencer marketing effectiveness: A meta-analytic review,” J. Acad. Mark. Sci., vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 52–78, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1007/s11747-024-01052-7.
M. M. Barari, M. Eisend, and S. P. Jain, “A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of social media influencers: Mechanisms and moderation,” J. Acad. Mark. Sci., vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 28–48, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.1007/s11747-025-01107-3.
S. Bazi, R. Filieri, and M. Gorton, “Social media content aesthetic quality and customer engagement: The mediating role of entertainment and impacts on brand love and loyalty,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 160, p. 113778, May 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113778.
T. Meliawati, S. C. Gerald, and Akhmad Edhy Aruman, “The Effect of Social Media Marketing TikTok and Product Quality Towards Purchase Intention,” Journal of Consumer Sciences, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 77–92, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.29244/jcs.8.1.77-92.
A. P. Sarifiyono and B. Lesmana, “Konten Social Media Marketing dan Tourist Attractions melalui Minat Berkunjung akan Meningkatkan Keputusan Kunjungan Wisatawan pada UMKM di Kawasan Wisata Jawa Barat,” Jurnal Maksipreneur: Manajemen, Koperasi, dan Entrepreneurship, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 582, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.30588/jmp.v12i2.1193.
Y. Chen, Z. Qin, Y. Yan, and Y. Huang, “The Power of Influencers: How Does Influencer Marketing Shape Consumers’ Purchase Intentions?,” Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 13, p. 5471, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.3390/su16135471.
S. Sardar, S. V. Tata, and S. Sarkar, “Examining the influence of source factors and content characteristics of influencers’ post on consumer engagement and purchase intention: A moderated analysis,” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 79, p. 103888, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103888.
J. M. Alcántara-Pilar, M. E. Rodriguez-López, Z. Kalinić, and F. Liébana-Cabanillas, “From likes to loyalty: Exploring the impact of influencer credibility on purchase intentions in TikTok,” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 78, p. 103709, May 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103709.
L. Ao, R. Bansal, N. Pruthi, and M. B. Khaskheli, “Impact of Social Media Influencers on Customer Engagement and Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 3, p. 2744, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.3390/su15032744.
A. Shabani Shojaei and B. Barbosa, “The impact of influencers’ credibility and consumer involvement on attitudes and purchase intention: a comparison before and after the pandemic,” EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 18–47, Dec. 2026, doi: 10.1108/EMJB-02-2025-0068.
C. Gu and Q. Duan, “Exploring the dynamics of consumer engagement in social media influencer marketing: from the self-determination theory perspective,” Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun., vol. 11, no. 1, p. 587, May 2024, doi: 10.1057/s41599-024-03127-w.
S. Jayasingh, A. Sivakumar, and A. A. Vanathaiyan, “Artificial Intelligence Influencers’ Credibility Effect on Consumer Engagement and Purchase Intention,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 20, no. 1, p. 17, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.3390/jtaer20010017.
N. Cao, N. M. Isa, S. Perumal, and C. Chen, “Perceived Value, Consumer Engagement, and Purchase Intention in Virtual Influencer Marketing: The Role of Source Credibility and Generational Cohort,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 20, no. 2, p. 150, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.3390/jtaer20020150.
B. P. Statistik, “Jumlah Perusahaan Industri Skala Mikro dan Kecil Menurut Provinsi,” Badan Pusat Statistik, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.bps.go.id/id/statistics-table/2/NDQwIzI%3D/jumlah-perusahaan-industri-skala-mikro-dan-kecil-menurut-provinsi.html
N. Sarkis, N. Jabbour Al Maalouf, and R. El Lakiss, “Examining influencer marketing: the roles of para-social relationships, unpaid collaborations, and trustworthiness in shaping consumer buying behavior,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2419501.
J. Long, N. Zaidin, and X. Mai, “Social media influencer streamers and live-streaming shopping: examining consumer behavioral intention through the lens of the theory of planned behavior,” Future Business Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 80, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1186/s43093-024-00370-0.
Z. Saternus, C. Mihale-Wilson, and O. Hinz, “Influencer marketing on Instagram—The optimal disclosure strategy from influencers’ and marketers’ perspectives,” Electronic Markets, vol. 34, no. 1, p. 60, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s12525-024-00743-x.
J. Gross and F. von Wangenheim, “Influencer Marketing on Instagram: Empirical Research on Social Media Engagement with Sponsored Posts,” Journal of Interactive Advertising, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 289–310, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1080/15252019.2022.2123724.
B. Senanu, T. Anning-Dorson, and N. N. Tackie, “Social media insights for non-luxury fashion SMEs in emerging markets: evidence from young consumers,” Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 965–987, Nov. 2023, doi: 10.1108/JFMM-02-2022-0026.
L. Ellitan, L. G. D. Harvina, and R. S. H. Lukito, “The Effect of Social Media Marketing on Brand Image, Brand Trust, and Purchase Intention of Somethinc Skincare Products in Surabaya,” Journal of Entrepreneurship & Business, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 104–114, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.24123/jeb.v3i2.4801.
S. I. Khan, S. Rehman, and U. Kashif, “From engagement to purchases: how do social media content differentiation and digital capabilities of micro firms shape consumer behavior?,” American Journal of Business, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 202–217, Nov. 2025, doi: 10.1108/AJB-10-2024-0223.
F. Herzallah, A. J. Abosamaha, S. M. Salameh, and M. Alhayek, “Social commerce attributes, customer engagement and repurchase intention in social commerce platforms: A stimulus–organism– response approach,” Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 100635, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.joitmc.2025.100635.
S. V I De Araujo, A. S. Dhaigude, G. B. Kamath, R. R. Pai, S. Nayak, and S. Ganesh, “Influencer credibility and consumer behavior: the mediating role of self-brand congruity and moderating role of involvement,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 12, no. 1, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2025.2541040.
G. Onofrei, R. Filieri, and L. Kennedy, “Social media interactions, purchase intention, and behavioural engagement: The mediating role of source and content factors,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 142, pp. 100–112, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.031.
A. Salonen, J. Mero, J. Munnukka, M. Zimmer, and H. Karjaluoto, “Digital content marketing on social media along the B2B customer journey: The effect of timely content delivery on customer engagement,” Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 118, pp. 12–26, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.02.002.
T. Munir and S. Watts, “Power of social media influencers on brand awareness, value, and consumer purchases,” Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 258–277, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1108/SJME-02-2024-0030.
S. Vinerean and A. Opreana, “Measuring Customer Engagement in Social Media Marketing: A Higher-Order Model,” Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 2633–2654, Oct. 2021, doi: 10.3390/jtaer16070145.
T. T. A. Ngo, B. L. Vuong, M. D. Le, T. T. Nguyen, M. M. Tran, and Q. K. Nguyen, “The impact of eWOM information in social media on the online purchase intention of Generation Z,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2316933.
J. A. Macías Urrego, V. García Pineda, and L. A. Montoya Restrepo, “The power of social media in the decision-making of current and future professionals: a crucial analysis in the digital era,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2421411.
Z. Wang, A. Azhar, N. Rehman, and M. U. Javaid, “Role of traditional vs social media on purchase intention: A sequential mediation model,” Acta Psychol. (Amst)., vol. 260, p. 105510, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105510.
C. Adinda, E. Listiana, B. Barkah, and A. Fitriana, “The influence of social media marketing on purchase intention with customer engagement as mediator,” Journal of Management Science (JMAS), vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 74–83, Jan. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://exsys.iocspublisher.org/index.php/JMAS/article/view/575
S. Singh, D. S. Chaubey, R. Raj, V. Kumar, M. Paliwal, and S. Mahlawat, “Social media communication, consumer attitude and purchase intention in lifestyle category products: a PLS-SEM modeling,” Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 272–296, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.1108/MIP-11-2023-0626.
Published
2026-04-27
How to Cite
Sjaifudian, H., Sumarto, S. H., & Husnah, N. (2026). Examining Customer Engagement In Linking Social Media Content Quality, Influencer Credibility, And Purchase Intention. Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Pelita Bangsa, 11(01), 184-203. https://doi.org/10.37366/jespb.v11i01.3214
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Articles
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