Scouting Engaging Influencers to Recommend Brands for S-Commerce Repurchase Success in Sustainability

Abstract

This study examines the role of social media influencers and consumer engagement in predicting repurchase behavior on a social commerce (s-commerce) platform. Addressing research gaps in cultural, platform, and methodological contexts, the research analyzes real transactional data collected from the largest influencer-driven s-commerce group-buying platform in Taiwan. Using the AMOS 29 Structural Equation Program and a consumer engagement perspective, the study investigates how Facebook-related influencer and consumer engagement factors predict s-commerce repurchases. The results indicate that an influencer’s Facebook follower count is positively associated with s-commerce electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) interactivity, whereas the number of Facebook posts does not significantly affect interactivity. In addition, both behavioral engagement and emotional engagement on Facebook are shown to be indicators of s-commerce eWOM interactivity. The results further demonstrate that s-commerce eWOM interactivity positively affects repurchase behavior among consumers. Finally, the study finds that limited-time sales negatively moderate the relationship between s-commerce eWOM interactivity and repurchase behavior. The study contributes to influencer marketing and social commerce literature by using real transactional data from a Taiwanese social commerce environment and extends understanding of how engagement factors influence repurchase outcomes in online group-buying platforms.