Influencers on the Rise: A Descriptive-Correlational Study of the Impact of Social Media Influencers on the Purchasing Decisions of Selected Senior High School Students

In recent years, as social media platforms and marketing have expanded, the term "social media influencers (SMIs)" has emerged to describe individuals who have become well-known through their digital content. Nearly 93 percent of marketers use influencer marketing to reach online consumers, as SMI marketing has become a significant factor in modern persuasion and is expected to grow substantially. Given this trend, the study employed a descriptive-correlational approach to investigate the influence of selected social media influencers’ characteristics (trustworthiness, attractiveness, and expertise) on the purchasing decisions of the younger generation. The study included 326 senior high school students in Manila, surveyed through an online questionnaire. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the respondents’ perceived trustworthiness, attractiveness, and expertise of SMIs and their purchasing behavior. Specifically, the results confirm that trustworthiness and attractiveness strongly influence purchase decisions, while expertise has a weaker yet still significant impact. Businesses should focus on these factors to promote favorable purchasing decisions, particularly among young consumers.