DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.182442.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

How Do Social Media Influencer Attributes Build Brand Equity? The Mediating Role of Brand Awareness in Indonesian Social Commerce

Ainayyah Ferla, Morakinyo Dada, Deeparechigi Vashu, Abdulrahman Abubakar
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Influencer marketing is widely used in social commerce, but the process through which influencer attributes translate into brand equity remains poorly explained. Drawing on source credibility theory, self-congruity theory, and parasocial interaction theory, this study tests whether brand awareness mediates the relationships between four influencer attributes, namely content quality, credibility, personal identity, and social interaction, and brand equity among social commerce consumers in Indonesia. Data were collected through a structured online questionnaire from 200 Indonesian social commerce consumers aged 18 years and above, recruited through purposive sampling. The hypothesised relationships were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping. All four influencer attributes had significant positive effects on brand awareness, with social interaction exerting the strongest effect. Brand awareness, in turn, had a strong positive effect on brand equity and fully mediated the effects of content quality, credibility, personal identity, and social interaction on brand equity. This indicates that influencer attributes do not improve brand equity directly; they matter because they build brand awareness among consumers. The study contributes to research on influencer marketing and social commerce by establishing brand awareness as the key link between influencer attributes and brand equity, and by showing that social interaction plays a greater role than content quality or credibility in building awareness. For practice, brands, especially small and emerging firms, should prioritise interactive influencer activities such as replies, live sessions, and community participation. The findings are relevant to SDG 8, particularly Target 8.3, which supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of small businesses through digital market participation.

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