The Mechanism of Social Media Influencing Effect on Consumer Purchase Pathways: An Intermediary Perspective Based on Recommendation Credibility

Abstract

Social media platforms now serve as crucial channels for obtaining product information and making purchasing decisions, significantly influencing consumer groups. The terms “influence” and “deinfluence” have become high-frequency expressions in everyday consumer discourse. Although some scholars have gradually turned their research focus toward the “influence” phenomenon in recent years, concentrating on its impact on consumer purchasing behavior and brand perception, the academic community still lacks a comprehensive and systematic in-depth exploration of the underlying mechanisms through which “influence” influences consumer behavior. This study employs a case analysis approach, selecting representative corporate operation cases from the RedNote platform as subjects of analysis. It investigates how “influence” content in the social media environment influences consumer trust formation and purchase intent through emotional contagion and rational persuasion. Simultaneously, we will conduct an in-depth examination of whether recommendation credibility plays an intermediary role in the process where “influence” content impacts consumer purchasing behavior. Furthermore, we will analyze how three key factors—platform operational strategies, UGC content types, and user psychological characteristics—interact to establish recommendation credibility and shape consumers' purchasing decision pathways. This study ultimately identified and validated the key mediating role of recommendation credibility in the emotional contagion pathway of “influencer marketing” content and consumer purchasing behavior.