Influences of Diversity and Inclusion in Social Media Marketing: Examining the Impact on Customer Purchase Intentions

Abstract

This research critically investigated the role of social media influencers on consumer purchasing decisions, with an emphasis on the potential impact of diversity among influencers and the possible moderating role of consumer characteristics. This study challenged prevailing assumptions about the direct influence of influencer diversity and consumer characteristics on purchasing decisions. Contrary to expectations, our data did not provide robust evidence to support the hypothesis that diversity among influencers and consumer characteristics, such as age, income, gender, and cultural intelligence, significantly influence purchasing intentions. This surprising finding compels us to question the perceived importance of diversity in influencer marketing and points to the existence of a more nuanced relationship between influencer diversity, consumer characteristics, and purchasing decisions than previously understood. This study also revealed that while diversity can enrich the array of perspectives available to consumers, it does not necessarily translate into a direct and measurable impact on consumers' purchase decisions. The influence of consumer characteristics also turned out to be less significant than anticipated, suggesting a more intricate relationship between these variables and calling for a deeper exploration of these interactions. Despite the inconclusive findings regarding hypotheses 2-5, the research has provided deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in the relationship between influencers, consumers, and purchasing decisions. While it confirmed the pivotal role of influencers in shaping consumer behaviors, it also highlighted that the effects of influencer diversity and consumer characteristics on purchasing decisions are not straightforward but multifaceted and potentially influenced by other unexplored factors.