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<p>Consumers are increasingly using social media as a&#xa0;guide for making purchase decisions. Consequently, social media content creators—influencers—are shaping the consumer behavior of individuals who are especially active on social media, such as Generation&#xa0;Z. The use of social media for business purposes is therefore of fundamental and increasing importance in order to reach these “digital natives.” Nevertheless, it remains unclear which key factors influence the purchasing behavior of Generation&#xa0;Z. This study addresses this research gap by empirically testing an integrated, theoretically grounded impact model and deriving recommendations for research and practice.</p><p>Using covariance-based structural equation modeling, we examine the extent to which factors such as the influencers’ perceived credibility and authenticity as well as the parasocial relationship between influencers and followers play a&#xa0;role. Credibility is operationalized as a&#xa0;three-dimensional construct comprised of trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness. The empirical basis is an online survey of 192 German Generation&#xa0;Z users of Instagram.</p><p>The results show that parasocial relationships between influencers and followers have a&#xa0;significant, positive effect on purchase intention. In contrast, credibility and authenticity show no direct effects on purchase intention. In business practice, the focus of marketing activities should be on parasocial relationships. In this way, the perceived connection with influencers can be used as a&#xa0;lever to strengthen purchase intentions. Selecting the “right” influencer is essential in this process. This article offers evidence-based insights into the underlying mechanisms and concludes with five practical guidelines for targeted corporate social media strategy.</p>

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Glaubwürdigkeit, Authentizität, parasoziale Beziehung – Der Einfluss von Influencern auf das Kaufverhalten der Gen Z

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月24日

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  • Doreen Hedergott,
  • Patrick Lehmann,
  • Linnea Schmidt

摘要

Consumers are increasingly using social media as a guide for making purchase decisions. Consequently, social media content creators—influencers—are shaping the consumer behavior of individuals who are especially active on social media, such as Generation Z. The use of social media for business purposes is therefore of fundamental and increasing importance in order to reach these “digital natives.” Nevertheless, it remains unclear which key factors influence the purchasing behavior of Generation Z. This study addresses this research gap by empirically testing an integrated, theoretically grounded impact model and deriving recommendations for research and practice.

Using covariance-based structural equation modeling, we examine the extent to which factors such as the influencers’ perceived credibility and authenticity as well as the parasocial relationship between influencers and followers play a role. Credibility is operationalized as a three-dimensional construct comprised of trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness. The empirical basis is an online survey of 192 German Generation Z users of Instagram.

The results show that parasocial relationships between influencers and followers have a significant, positive effect on purchase intention. In contrast, credibility and authenticity show no direct effects on purchase intention. In business practice, the focus of marketing activities should be on parasocial relationships. In this way, the perceived connection with influencers can be used as a lever to strengthen purchase intentions. Selecting the “right” influencer is essential in this process. This article offers evidence-based insights into the underlying mechanisms and concludes with five practical guidelines for targeted corporate social media strategy.