The Role of Credibility and Parasocial Interaction in Influencer Marketing on YouTube

Objectives The main objective of this study was to find out whether parasocial interaction experienced with a YouTuber that a person enjoys watching the most, and perceived credibility of that person influences buyer behavior. The objectives also included exploring the relationship between parasocial interaction and credibility. Other researchers have studied these two concepts separately, but not how they affect buyer behavior together. Summary This research was conducted through a quantitative study, where people who had attended a YouTube event called VidCon, or were otherwise interested in YouTube, responded to an online survey. Based on previous research, it was predicted that parasocial interaction and credibility affect buyer behavior positively. However, this study found that these two factors do not affect buyer behavior to an extent that would be statistically significant. It was also discovered that there is a correlation between parasocial interaction and credibility, but based on this research it cannot be determined which affects which. Conclusions In addition to parasocial interaction and credibility, there are a lot of other factors that contribute to viewers’ buying decisions. For example, viewers might want to buy products in order to interact with their favorite YouTubers, support their partnerships, or simply because they like the products. It was also discovered that younger people experience more PSI, which is why companies need to be careful and use influencer marketing in an ethical way