In what context do consumers trust influencer marketing over paid advertising in their purchase intentions ?

Background: The rise of social media influencers and sponsored advertising has had a significant impact on consumer engagement. Influencers on social media are typically perceived as people who are similar to their followers and can be considered powerful opinion leaders. Businesses are increasingly using social media influencer marketing into their marketing strategies. It will be helpful to think about the links and differences related to influencer marketing and sponsored advertising in order to understand how they work and how effective they are. As a result, there is a pressing need to learn more about how this relationship influences customers' purchasing decisions.
Purpose: The objective of this research was to see how influencer marketing affects consumer purchase intentions in comparison to sponsored advertising. The question that was asked in the thesis was how social media influencers impact consumers’ purchase intentions, in comparison to sponsored social media advertising.
Methodology: A quantitative method was used in this thesis. The data was acquired through a survey with respondents who used social media frequently and were familiar with social media influencers and sponsored advertising.