Assessing the impact of social media influencers on purchase intentions: a PLS-SEM and IPMA approach in the health and fitness sector

Purpose In recent years, social media health and fitness influencers are transforming into a novel kind of digital health communicators, promoting and endorsing businesses and products and are also affecting the purchase decisions of their followers. This study aims to explore how different characteristics of social media influencers (SMI) impact consumers’ purchase intention (PI) towards health and fitness products with consumer attitude (CA) playing a mediating role. Design/methodology/approach Data analysis has been done through PLS-SEM using 304 responses from the users of social media in Punjab who are followers of at least one health and fitness influencer on social media. The PLS predict approach has been used to examine the predictive significance of PI. Furthermore, important performance map analysis also has been used. Findings Results indicate that the PI is positively influenced by SMI characteristics and CA is a mediator between SMI and PI. The CA, endorser-product fit and the similarity are the significant factors that strongly impact the intention to buy. These factors have a moderate to high level of predictive significance. The findings from IPMA indicate that enhancing the trustworthiness and attractiveness of influencers leads in increased intention to make a purchase. Originality/value The present study is the first of its kind to check the relationship between SMIs in health and fitness industry and PI with CA as a mediator in the Indian context.