Brand Communication Through Social Media Influencers: Trust Building and Trust Transfer Mechanisms

Abstract

By leveraging the trust they have instilled in followers, social media influencers open up new brand communication opportunities. Drawing on interpersonal and brand trust theories, this study conceptualizes influencer trust as a relational, multidimensional concept, and adopts the trust transfer theory to explain how this trust helps with brand communication outcomes. Using a national survey, the study shows that influencer ability, benevolence, integrity, authenticity, interactivity, relatability, and past experience quality contribute to trust in influencer, which then contributes to brand trust and consequently purchase and word-of-mouth intentions. Influencer-brand congruence also plays a moderating role in the model. Relatability and interactivity consistently contribute to all dimensions of trust (i.e., cognitive, affective, and behavioral trust), while other factors only predict certain dimensions. All trust dimensions could transfer from influencers to brands, with cognitive and behavioral trust being the most transferable. The moderating role of influencer-brand congruence only applies to cognitive trust.