Social Commerce: Examining the Mechanism of Social Media Influencers to Motivate the Urge to Buy Impulsively Through TikTok Apps in Indonesia

Abstract

The rapid growth of social commerce has intensified the role of social media influencers in shaping consumer purchasing behavior, particularly impulsive buying on platforms such as TikTok. This study examines the mechanisms by which influencer credibility, message credibility, and media credibility influence consumers’ impulsive buying urges, with trust in branded posts serving as a mediating variable. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, this research employs a quantitative approach using survey data collected from 150 Indonesian TikTok users who have purchased products promoted by a social media influencer. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. Results in this research indicate a positive effect of trust in branded posts on the urge to Buy Impulsively. The findings additionally indicate that Influencer Credibility, Message Credibility, and Media Credibility heavily influence the trust in branded posts.