Sambodhi ISSN: 2249-6661

(UGC Care Journal) Vol-44 No.-01(XIII) : 2021

TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF YOUTUBE TECH INFLUENCERS ON THE CONSUMER
BUYING BEHAVIOR OF ELECTRONIC GADGETS

Reema K Sans, Parvathy Rajagopal, Dr. Ramar Veluchamy Assistant Professor, Xavier Institute
of Management and Entrepreneurship, (Recognized Research Centre of University of Mysore),
Bangalore. drvramar@gmail.com ; reema26blr@xime.org, parvathyr26blr@xime.org

Abstract
Objective: The goal of the thesis is to research how social media influencers motivate purchasing
habits of young consumers from Kerala, evaluated via the YouTube Social Media Website.
Research Gap In this research, we are trying to establish that social media influencers in YouTube
play a major role in the purchase decision of the customers when it comes to electronic gadgets.
Methodology: To analyze the impact we have used quantitative statistical analysis of empirical
research results. Statistical techniques: Analysis was done with the help of statistical tools like
reliability test and multiple regression. Originality: The theory of reasoned action plays an important
role in this paper. It also talks about how people will behave based on their previous behavioral
attitudes and intentions. Findings: The findings show that YouTube influencers have an important,
positive impact on peer social influence, consumer trust, and electronic word of mouth. These factors
played a significant role in deciding the rate of purchase of Customers. Uniqueness of this study is
derived from the fact that Youtube influencers are in emerging area of brand flourishment and
Recommendations: Since there is a growth in the number of people using these online platforms in
the current pandemic situations factor like privacy could also be a main concern.
Keywords: Social Media Use and Purchase Intention, Endorsement by Social media Influencers,
Perceived Integrity, Consumer Trust.

Introduction:
An influencer is a person who has the professional capabilities to influence the buying
alternatives of others with respect to their power, information, professional status, or relationship
with their followers. An influencer is an individual who has a continuing interest in a unique
specialty, with whom the audience; the followers effectively pitch in. The number of acquaintances
an influencer has is dependent on the size of his/her subject of the variant. We should never ignore
the fact that these professionals are not just promoting apparatuses, they are in a constant quest to
build social relationships with resources and hence, brands could work together to accomplish their
showcasing objectives. Over the years, especially during the past 10 years, we have been constantly
witnessing web-based media fill replacing the traditional norms. By referring to the latest reports,
which was published in January 2019 there are 3.484 billion of effective users of online platforms -
that computes up to is 45% of the recorded populace. Unavoidably the users raise and devote these
influencers in the online limelight to guide them with among their choices of alternative variants.
Influencers in web related media are striving professionals who have gained opprobrium for their
insight and adroitness on a particular field. They portray and exhibit well-structured posts about that
subject on their favored web-related media platforms; their channel which will build a colossal bunch
of followers who will give importance and keen consideration to their endorsements and reviews.
Brands nowadays endear online media influencers because of their immense ability to make their
brand get a keen notice and hence increasing the value. You can isolate various sorts of influencers
multiple. Probably the most widely recognized techniques are by adherent numbers, by sorts of
conditionality, and by the degree of influence and its impact. In a similar manner we can assemble
influencers by the area of specialization that they have chosen. This implicit that influencers who are
less popular classification by one measure may appear to be more persuasive when taken a gander
at in another manner. For instance, numerous user influencers are additionally big names. However,
both these synod frequently have less authentic impact on their audience as they are confined to
commit within a restricted specialty. Slim Pickings of miniature and even Nano-influencers can

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prodigiously affect adherents in their expert forte. They might be of almighty smash to a brand or
business selling an item focusing in that specific area.
As we are advancing ahead, promoting methods and techniques are developing with time.
Influencer advertising today has gotten one of the business' sultriest go-to techniques. Influencer
advertising is a type of online media promotion including support from influencers, individuals and
associations who have a specialist level of information as well as web-based media impact in their
particular fields. Influencer promotion is a crossover of old and new showcasing devices, taking the
speculations of giant players and putting it into an advanced substance driving them into empowered
and powerful advertising endeavors. We should keep in mind that these people are not just
promoting instruments, nevertheless, leveraging web-based media interrelationship resources that
they use to tackle and accomplish earmarks of their advertising campaign.
Brands today are putting immense measures of cash in influencer advertising, lured by the
occasion to intensify their substance and draw in new organizations. Informal exchange has
consistently been perhaps the best methods of getting a deal and consequently promoting items
through online media influencers with an enormous base of supporters is a lot of an augmentation of
the equivalent. Purchaser behavior is the study of how individuals, groups, or organizations pick,
purchase, use, and organize ideas, products, and activities to meet their wants and needs. Customers
today will in general look for a well-qualified assessment prior to settling on a buy choice,
particularly recent college grads. With the ascent of online media stages like YouTube, Instagram
and Snapchat, the new age populace will undoubtedly watch out for exhortation and proposals in
each social space they are dynamic in. The individuals who offer this guidance to customers are truly
where these influencers are at the center. Shoppers today scorn the possibility of a customary method
of promoting and rather love to shop by overhearing people's conversations and especially when it is
on the web. It is these web-based media characters, whom they don't know on an individual note,
impact their buy choice and purchasing expectation and customize a brand for them. Brands today
realize that just exhibiting their items and administrations on their separate online media records
would not form connections and trust among people. Brands today have begun to perceive the way
that buyers will just settle on a buy choice dependent on their sensations of the organization and that
is the reason influencers have gotten so indispensable in affecting their buy aims and purchasing
conduct today. Organizations today welcome web-based media influencers and bloggers with a great
many devotees as their image representatives. So, if customers realize that the individuals, they
follow on their separate online media stages who cook explicitly to a specific specialty support about
a specific item or administration, they will in general trust them claiming to the trust and enjoying
these influencers have picked up throughout the long term and thus they end up supporting those
brands these web-based media influencers are discussing also. Henceforth messages announced by
online media influencers are regularly seen to be more dependable and convincing by the buyers.
This exploration further tries to fathom the effect of online media influencers on the customer
purchasing conduct of people. In this examination we will distinguish the adequacy of online media
influencers on the buy goal and customer perspectives towards items and administrations these web-
based media influencers and bloggers underwrite to offer significant bits of knowledge to all
organizations in the showcasing business so they can create different special and advertising systems
that include influencer promoting which plans to shape an effective and positive buyer purchasing
choice of people towards their administrations and items.

The purpose of the research paper is to have a better understanding of Social Networking Sites
(YouTube) and its influence on consumer purchase intention.

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Hypothesis

Social Media (YouTube) Use and Purchase Intention (SMUP)

YouTube is quite popular. Although not everyone does, a considerable fraction of the
population does. As per the latest estimates, one billion individuals use YouTube every month, with
a hooping 71% of those below the age of 35.We will be able to deduct from this that a large chunk
of people who are young, utilize YouTube. Because they see what other people do and a lot of what
they see on YouTube, young people have a lot of influence. This isn't inherently a negative thing, but
it may get ugly when the information being shared isn't correct. YouTube has established itself as a
significant marketing tool for businesses and merchants in a short period of time. YouTube is a free
“video sharing website” that was created in 2005. Users can share videos with one another directly.
After the world's largest search engine which is google,Youtube is the second-most-visited website
on the Internet. Every day, if we take account of the average, a single user spends at least 9 minutes
on YouTube, which is linked to 2.2 million other websites in the whole world. The consumer's
thinking, advertising inventiveness, and product features all play a role in shaping purchasing
decisions. "Brand Community" is the most important factor that can boost YouTube advertising.
According to the research, YouTube has a bigger positive influence on consumer confidence than
information provided by the company. Social influencers have a stronger impact on the community
than the corporation because they believe they are both users of the goods.

Social Influence of peers to use YouTube (SIPI)

As customers become more technologically sophisticated and social media-driven, platforms
that might be used to reach younger generations are continually evaluated. Customers are courted on
social media with a large amount of time and resources invested by brands. Digital marketing is a big
job, it's expensive, and there's a lot of it out there. Regardless, companies appear to be devoted to
using social media. This is owing to the fact that it is effective. YouTube has a significant influence
on customer purchasing decisions. Consumer conversions can be high as a result of peer

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recommendations. They just trust what their peers say and look to them for advice and, in many
cases, approval. As a result, people with a positive view toward YouTube are more engaged and
influential among their peers, as well as more involved in sharing and keeping video. SNS are
leading the charge in terms of establishing relationships between users of social networking sites
(SNS) and their peers, as new generations rapidly embrace the use of such networks in daily life
(Lauren Reiter Copeland & Li Zhao, 2020).

H0: Social influence of peers does not have a positive relationship with SMUP
H1: Social influence of peers has a positive relationship with SMUP

Endorsement by YouTube Influencers (EYI)

With respect to rate, outstretched, information flow, and interrelationship on, digital
influencers act for new possibilities for brand endorsement, offering new configurations to classic
connection techniques (MJB Silva et al., 2020). Through the lens of YouTube, the rise of
"influencers" has had a significant impact on how people interpret reality. Influencers are YouTube
users with a huge following and a high level of trustworthiness who can persuade their followers to
buy a product or service for the benefit of the company. Influencers have a tremendous ability to
influence an audience, and they have frequently used this power to distribute misleading information.

H0: Endorsement by YouTube Tech Influencers does not have a positive relationship with SMUP
H2: Endorsement by YouTube Tech Influencers has a positive relationship with SMUP

Security (SEQ)
YouTube has grown into a digital marketing force by appealing to a young, global audience
who are exposed to goods from real people they trust, relate to, and are interested in. Another
important factor that influences consumers' decision to shop by taking the reviews from the
influencers. At times buying Gadgets after listening to revies of the influencers can be
disadvantageous because as a customer we are not able to touch or feel the equipment. In case were
the customer buys the gadget online the factors like credit card fraud, privacy concerns, the
possibility of non-delivery, and post-purchase service, to name a few. Online shopping transaction
security, on the other hand, has gotten a lot of attention. Safe and protected money and credit card
purchases boost confidence and lower transaction risk. According to Bhatnagar and Ghose (2004),
one of the characteristics that restricts internet shopping is protection, as they say that a huge
segment of online customers avoids doing so because they are concerned about the security of their
sensitive information.

H0: Security in YouTube reviews on gadgets does not have a positive relationship with SMUP
H3: Security in YouTube reviews on gadgets has a positive relationship with SMUP

Perceived Integrity (PI)

When an end user believes that an Internet retailer is ethically decent and behaves in good
faith throughout sales transactions, without overcharging and following his or her commitments, and
is real (George Lăzăroiu et al., 2020), they are said to have perceived integrity. Competence,
honesty, and compassion are all characteristics of trust in a consumer's purchasing intent after
watching an influencer video. The ability of a firm to behave consistently, predictably, and honestly
is referred to as integrity. The customer's perception of the vendor's integrity is that the seller adheres
to a set of values that the buyer considers acceptable. In order to figure out if clients are inclined to
trust Integrity, we hypothesized that:

H0: Integrity on YouTube does not have a positive relationship with SMUP
H4: Integrity on YouTube has a positive relationship with SMUP

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Consumer Trust (CT)
Trust in YouTube tech influencers is an important idea in gadget purchases since it can put
customers at ease and lessen the risks of purchasing from vendors. As a result, for YouTube tech
influencers and consumers, the first step is to build trust-based behavior. According to past research,
consumers who believe YouTube tech influencer evaluations are more inclined to share knowledge,
make purchases, and engage with others. Customer trust in the YouTube platform is expected to
influence purchase intent in a similar way. According to Martin A. Pyle, Andrew N. Smith, and
Yanina Chevtchouk's (2021) article, "Using Nave Theories to Understand Consumer Trust in a
Complex EWOM Marketspace," consumers' trust and willingness to buy a product increases when
they receive a positive review/feedback through E-WOM or any other channel from their peers.
H0: Consumer Trust on reviews of YouTube tech influencers does not have a positive relationship
with SMUP
H5: Consumer Trust on reviews of YouTube tech influencers has a positive relationship with SMUP

Inconvenience of online Shopping depending on YouTube Tech influencer’s reviews (IOSI)

There is a disadvantage if the gadget is bought online considering the reviews of the
YouTube tech influencers is the absence of tangibility of the product while shopping online. As a
result, there is no way to determine the products or services' quality. It's also challenging to get in
touch with service members for any questions about the purchase. There's also the possibility of
hassles or costs associated with returning unwanted objects, as well as inaccuracies in the items
purchased. The article on Mediating Role of Customer Experience on the Relationship between
Online Shopping Determinants and Customer Satisfaction, Anh Tuan Pham and Khashayar Yazdani
(Feb 2021) gives other factors such as the payment, customer experience and satisfaction, conflict of
interests, etc. which could cause lack of interest in online shopping.

H0: Inconveniences of Online shopping depending on YouTube reviews on gadgets does not have a
positive relationship with SMUP
H6: Inconveniences of Online shopping depending on YouTube reviews on gadgets has a positive
relationship with SMUP.

Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM)

Customers now have another social platform to look for unbiased product information, as
well as the ability to contribute their own intake-related advice through digital word of mouth, thanks
to the increased usage of social networking sites. Customers can use social networking websites to
discuss their engaging circumstances with items along with their styles with members of their social
networks, whether they are close acquaintances or strangers. With the help of ubiquitous
characteristics of social networking sites, consumers give or seek informal product-related
recommendations, resulting in electronic word of mouth on social networking sites. Because these
platforms have made it easier for consumers to develop and maintain strong social ties online,
electronic word of mouth shared through social networking networks can be extremely successful.
According to the article: In the Banking Sector in an Emerging Economy, the Relationship Between
CSR Communication on Social Media, Purchase Intention, and E-WOM Customers' opinions of a
company's social consciousness and transparency have a direct and indirect impact on their
purchasing intention and E-WOM., according to J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2021.
H0: Electronic Word of Mouth through YouTube tech influencers does not have a positive
relationship with SMUP
H7: Electronic Word of Mouth through YouTube tech influencers has a positive relationship with
SMUP

Methodology
This study uses a quantitative online survey research methodology to better evaluate the
effects of YouTube tech influencers on customer purchase intent. The data for this study was
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collected in 2021. It is made up of 116 replies from Internet-connected Indian consumers aged 20 to
40 who consider themselves to be social media users. People actively participated in an online survey
to gather a random sample of the population.
Instrumentation
Five quantitative scales made up the survey instrument. All of the scales were placed on a
Likert-scale system, with the value 1 stipulating strong disagreement and 5 stipulating strong
agreement.

Data Analysis
All data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Cronbach's measurements were
used to check that the scales were reliable and that the sample taken was accurately measured. For all
scales in the sample, Cronbach's alpha ratings above 0.7 were confirmed to be accurate (Cronbach,
1951). Later, Regression Analysis was utilized to figure out which variables affect client purchasing
intent on YouTube.
Reliability Analysis
Sl. No Parameter Cronbach's Alpha N of Items

1 Social Media (YouTube) Use and Purchase Intention 0.773 1

2 Social Influence of peers to use YouTube .0.783 2

3 Endorsement by YouTube Influencer .763 5

4 Security .761 1

5 Perceived Integrity .808 3

6 Consumer Trust .791 4

7 Inconvenience of online shopping depending on .876 3

YouTube Tech Influencer’s reviews

8 Electronic word of mouth .763 3

Regression Analysis Coefficients

Unstandardized Standardized
Coefficients Coefficients

Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.

1 (Constant) -.093 0.057 -1.615 -1.615

SIPI .101 .030 .095 3.330 .001

EYI .573 .081 .565 7.047 .000

SEQ .046 .018 .044 2.574 .011

PI .004 .006 .007 0.725 .470

CT 0.396 .080 0.399 4.958 0.00

IOSI .000 .008 -.001 -.064 .949

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EWOM -.101 .026 -.097 -3.865 .000

1. Dependent Variable: SMUP

Regression Equation :Smup = 0.057+0.080CT+0.030SIPY+0.008 PIOS + 0.026 EWM+
0.006PI+0.018 SEQ+0.081 EYI
Interpretation
H1: Social influence of peers has a significant relationship with SMUP with beta value =.095, T
value = 3.330, and p<= 0.05.
H2: Endorsement by YouTube Tech Influencers has a significant relationship with SMUP with
beta value =.565, T value =7.047, and p<= 0.05.
H3: Security in YouTube reviews on gadgets has a significant relationship with SMUP with beta
value =0.044, T value = 2.574, and p<= 0.05.
H4: Integrity has no significant relationship with SMUP with beta value =0.007, T value =
0.725, and p> = 0.05.
H5: Consumer Trust on reviews of YouTube tech influencers has a significant relationship with
SMUP with beta value =-0.399, T value = 4.958, p<= 0.05.
H6: Inconveniences of Online shopping depending on YouTube reviews on gadgets has no
significant relationship with SMUP with beta value =-.001, T value = -.064, and p>= 0.05.
H7: Electronic Word of Mouth through YouTube tech influencers has a significant relationship
with SMUP with beta value =-.097, T value = -3.865, and p<= 0.05.

Findings
Male responses made up to 66% of the total 115 responses, while female response made up the
remaining. The average age is 24 within the age group of 18 - 35. More than half of the respondents
fall under the student category. All of the Cronbach’s alpha results were greater than 70 indicating
high reliability. The next step is to perform regression analysis to determine the significance of the
hypothesis. All of the factors were believed to have a positive connection. Social Media use and
Purchase Intention were found to be positively connected to elements such peer social influence to
use YouTube, security, consumer trust, and electronic word of mouth. Most significantly, YouTube
Influencer Endorsement had a positive correlation with Social Media Use and Purchase Intention.
Perceived Online Shopping Integrity and Inconveniences based on YouTube gadget reviews and
Privacy showed no significant link with Social Media Use and Purchase Intention. As a result, H4
and H6 were not supported.

Conclusion
Consumers who use YouTube in specific ways will be affected by such sites, according to
this analysis, if shops engage with them in similar ways. If a client wants to learn new things on
YouTube, for example, the stories and feeds that their friends post are more likely to influence those
(Gilbert & Karahalios, 2009). The goal of this study was to better understand how consumers use
YouTube, how they perceive their use, how they are influenced by their peers on YouTube, and how
the YouTube platform affects them, all based on their motivation to comply with their peers and
what they believe their peers want from them. This is crucial to understand why it is vital for brands
to influence clients differently on social media than they would in a physical or online store.
According to this report, merchants and brands have a variety of options for communicating
with customers and gaining direct access to their peer influence. Retailers can comment on their
customers' posts and contribute to what they appear to love by providing similar articles or data to
the comments area.
Peers on social networking sites may have sway over other users, according to this analysis,
and if this is true, it is vital for shops and brands to profit on this relationship. They should use a
range of social media marketing methods to not only take advantage of the existing peer-to-peer
strength on YouTube, but also to seek to become peers of the consumers.
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Recommendations
The paper attempted to provide insights into some of the factors contributing to consumer buying
behavior depending on the reviews of a YouTube tech influencer but many others factors are yet to
be considered. Since there is a growth in the number of people using these online platforms in the
current pandemic situations factor like privacy could also be a main concern.

Future Research
More research is required to properly understand the relationships between other social media
platforms systems including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram, among others.
This research mainly focuses on the users of YouTube from Kerala. To have a wider understanding
of the influence of YouTube, we can conduct this research on a wider scale considering samples all
over India. Also, the use of social media by Generation Alpha (born 2010 or after) has significantly
increased over the years. The ongoing pandemic has changed the social media habits of the
population with more people relying on YouTube and other social media for their daily dose of news
and entertainment. There has been a lot of concern over issues relating to privacy of the users over
YouTube and generally on social media. Our current research did not yield any significant
conclusions over the importance of Privacy on YouTube. So, the future research should focus more
on the Privacy aspects of YouTube. The Theory of reasoned Action, which attempts to clarify the
relationship between actions and attitudes in human action, gains more importance with this research
paper. It also predicts how people will act based on their previous behavioral intentions and attitudes.

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