Elucidating Information Adoption in YouTube Influencer Marketing: The Role of Influencer Attributes, Information Credibility, and Purchase Intentions

Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward social media influencers as credible information sources for products and services, owing to the authenticity, domain knowledge, and relatability inherent in their experiential narratives. In Malawi, beauty influencers on YouTube significantly influence consumers' buying choices, especially in the fashion, fitness, beauty, and food industries. This research analyzes the impact of influencer characteristics on perceived information credibility and investigates how this credibility influences information adoption and buying intentions among consumer in Malawi's cosmetics sector. Data were gathered using an online survey that utilized purposive and snowball sampling methods, yielding 358 valid responses for analysis. The proposed relationships were evaluated through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that the characteristics of influencers greatly improve the perceived trustworthiness of information created by them. Moreover, the credibility of information has a positive impact on both the adoption of information and intentions to make a purchase, while the adoption of information significantly enhances purchase intentions. These results emphasize the key importance of information credibility in converting influencer traits into consumers' behaviours regarding information adoption and their purchasing choices. The research provides significant theoretical and managerial insights for marketers and cosmetic brands looking to improve the efficacy of influencer marketing techniques and strengthen consumer engagement via trustworthy social media endorsements.   Received: 15 July  2026 / Accepted: 31 August 2026 / Published: September 2026