Influence of Social Media Micro-Influencers on Gen-Z Purchase Decisions: A Cross-Sectional Empirical Analysis

Micro-Influencers, Generation Z, Source Credibility Theory, Parasocial Interaction, Consumer Trust, Empirical Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling.

This study investigates the structural impact of social media micro-influencers (10,000–100,000 followers) on the purchase decisions of Generation Z (Gen-Z) consumers. Grounded in Source Credibility Theory and Parasocial Interaction (PSI) Theory, this paper develops a conceptual framework that explores how micro-influencer attributes—specifically perceived authenticity, homophily (perceived similarity), and niche expertise—affect downstream purchase intentions, mediated by the strength of parasocial relationships and consumer trust.

Employing a cross-sectional empirical research design, primary data was gathered via a structured survey from a targeted sample of Gen-Z digital natives (N = 412) who actively engage with micro-influencer content across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to validate the measurement scales and test the proposed hypotheses.

The empirical results demonstrate that perceived authenticity and homophily exert a powerful, statistically significant indirect effect on purchase decisions, strongly mediated by parasocial interaction and trust. Interestingly, while niche expertise directly impacts trust, its standalone direct effect on purchase decisions is heavily diluted compared to the overwhelming influence of relational authenticity.

The paper concludes with an actionable strategic framework for modern digital marketers seeking to optimize influencer spend, noting that for the value-driven Gen-Z cohort, peer-like relational proximity consistently outperforms overt corporate advertising.