CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN INFLUENCER MARKETING: LINKING FOLLOWER EQUITY, CONGRUENCE, AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS

This study investigates the influence of influencer follower equity on consumer behavior within the context of social media marketing. Building upon theories of congruence and attitude formation, the research addresses a key gap in understanding how emotional equity between influencers and their followers translates into behavioral intentions, specifically intention to purchase and intention to recommend. The primary objective is to analyze the mediating role of consumer–product congruence and attitude in this relationship, with a focus on the fashion industry. The research employed a structured quantitative approach using a self-administered questionnaire based on validated Likert-scale items. Data were collected from 350 active Instagram users in Pakistan via purposive sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 was applied to analyze the direct and indirect effects among the constructs. The findings confirmed that influencer follower equity significantly enhances consumer–product congruence, which in turn positively affects consumer attitudes. Positive attitudes were strongly associated with both intention to purchase and intention to recommend, validating all proposed hypotheses. This study provides original insights into the psychological mechanisms behind influencer marketing effectiveness. It offers practical implications for marketers aiming to design congruence-based influencer strategies. Future research can explore platform-based or cross-cultural variations of this model.Keywords: Influencer marketing, follower equity, consumer–product congruence, attitude, purchase intention, recommendation intention, SEM, social media marketing