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Abstract

The increasing use of social media has changed the way businesses communicate with consumers and influence their purchasing decisions. As one of the most active digital consumer groups, Generation Z often relies on social media platforms and influencer recommendations when evaluating products before making a purchase decision. This study aims to examine the influence of social media marketing and influencer credibility on purchase intention among Generation Z in Medan, Indonesia. A quantitative research approach with an associative design was used. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 97 respondents selected using purposive sampling. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics through validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression analysis, t-tests, F-tests, and coefficient of determination (R²). The results showed that social media marketing has a positive and significant influence on purchase intention. Influencer credibility also has a positive and significant influence on purchase intention. Simultaneously, both independent variables have a significant effect on purchase intention, with the regression model explaining 83.4% of the variance in purchase intention (R² = 0.834 ). These findings suggest that integrating effective social media marketing strategies with credible influencer endorsements can substantially increase consumer purchase intentions. This study contributes to the digital marketing literature by providing empirical evidence from Generation Z consumers in Medan and offering practical insights for businesses in designing effective digital marketing strategies.

Keywords

Social Media Marketing Influencer Credibility Purchase Intention Generation Z Digital Marketing

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Satputri, H. L., & Sari, D. P. (2026). The Influence of Social Media Marketing and Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intentions among Generation Z in Medan. Golden Ratio of Marketing and Applied Psychology of Business, 7(1), 101 – 113. https://doi.org/10.52970/grmapb.v7i1.2559
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