When media matters: the role of media richness and naturalness on purchase intentions within influencer marketing

Social media platforms offer brands an opportunity to freely engage with their consumers and form value-laden relationships. They also offer influencers, acting as representatives of brands, an opportunity to develop relationships with consumers and through this, shape purchase intentions. Despite this, research is yet to examine how specific media characteristics, namely media richness and media naturalness act to shape the illusory parasocial relationship that forms between the influencer and the influenced as well as how media characteristics impact upon perceptions of authenticity. Media richness relates to the ability of information to change understanding within a specific time interval and media naturalness refers to the degree to which communication incorporates proximity, feedback, facial expression, body language and speech. This study addresses this research gap by examining the salience of the relationships between media richness, media naturalness, perceived authenticity and parasocial interactions. It then examines the relationships between these constructs and purchase intentions. Structural equation modelling and a sample of 221 social media users was employed to examine the interrelationships between constructs. The findings reveal that parasocial interactions were the strongest driver of purchase intent. Media richness had an important role to play in the development of authentic and genuine parasocial interactions. These interactions subsequently play a large role in shaping purchasing behaviours. Media naturalness and authenticity were however revealed to be necessary but not sufficient conditions for purchase. Understanding the role of media richness and naturalness in social media marketing will support marketing managers to design effective campaigns that enhance conversion.