Relationship between Consumers’ Perceived Value, Engagement, and Behavioral Intentions towards Social Media Beauty Influencers

Purpose: This study examines the relationships among consumers’ perceived value, engagement, and behavioral intentions in the rapidly growing field of social media beauty influencer marketing, analyzing their combined impact on consumer behavior.Methods: The study surveyed students from beauty-related universities in Gwangju metropolitan city. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire over a 14-day period from March 4 to March 17, 2025. The questionnaire, adapted from past research, included items on perceived value (three emotional value questions, three practical value questions), engagement (six questions), and behavioral intention (four continued participation questions, four word-of-mouth questions), along with three general characteristic questions. Data was analyzed using SPSS 29.0, employing frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis (Cronbach’s α), descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and simple regression analysis.Results: Perceived value toward influencers emerged as a positive predictor of both engagement and behavioral intention. Perceived value consumers feel toward influencers emerged as an emotional value had the strongest influence on engagement (β=0.663, p<0.001), while practical value also showed a significant effect (β=0.190, p<0.05). The findings indicate that emotional bonds with influencers encourage deeper engagement, while practical trust and experiences also play crucial roles. Engagement, in turn, strongly predicted both continued participation (β=0.542, p<0.001) and word-of-mouth intentions (β=0.539, p<0.001).Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of creating positive emotional experiences and strengthening engagement in social media beauty influencer marketing strategies. Building deep consumer relationships can drive brand growth through ongoing participation and positive word-of-mouth. This study provides strategic insights focused on consumers’ perceived value and engagement, offering foundational data for future research in beauty influencer marketing.