Influence of Social Media Influencers on Brand Purchase Behaviour Among Young Consumers in Hyderabad

Author

Tiruveedhula Jaya Lakshmi, Dr.Y.Venkata Ramana

Abstract

 Social media has become an important part of the daily life of young consumers. Many young people follow social media influencers on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube and regularly watch their product reviews, recommendations, and promotional content. Influencers can create awareness about different brands and may also affect the purchase decisions of consumers. This study examines how social media influencers influence the brand purchase behaviour of young consumers in Hyderabad, and how factors such as trust, content type, recommendations, and influencer credibility shape their buying decisions.

A descriptive, quantitative survey design was used. Primary data were collected through a structured 20-item questionnaire administered online to 73 young consumers aged 18–30 between 25 August and 3 October 2026. The data were analysed using frequencies, means, Spearman rank correlation, chi-square, Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests, and multiple regression.

The results show that Instagram is the dominant platform (64.4%) and that 64.4% of respondents have bought a product because of an influencer’s recommendation, although only 47.9% do so “sometimes” or “often”. Overall influence on brand purchase decisions is moderate (mean 3.14 on a 5-point scale). Trust in influencer recommendations is the strongest predictor of influence (ρ = .43, p < .001; β = .41 in regression) and of purchase frequency. Honesty and positive reviews are the most cited trust builders, while follower count is the least cited. Gender, age, occupation, and time spent on social media were not significantly related to purchase behaviour or overall influence. The findings suggest that influencer marketing works for young consumers in Hyderabad mainly when it is perceived as trustworthy, rather than simply because an influencer is popular.

Keywords

Social Media Influencers, Brand Purchase Behaviour, Young Consumers, Influencer Marketing, Purchase Decision, Social Media, Hyderabad.

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References

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