The impact of social media influencer interaction quality on consumer decision-making: an examination of variety-seeking behavior in the restaurant industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of social media influencers on Snapchat on consumers' variety-seeking behavior in the restaurant industry. It investigates six key influencer traits – trustworthiness, perceived expertise, parasocial relationships, attitude homophily, social attractiveness and physical attractiveness – while also exploring the mediating role of storytelling. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to individuals in Iraq who regularly follow Snapchat influencers and dine out. A total of 404 valid responses were collected. SEM was employed to assess the validity of the measures and to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The findings reveal that social attractiveness has the strongest positive impact on variety-seeking behavior, with trustworthiness also playing a significant role. In contrast, perceived expertise, parasocial relationships, attitude homophily and physical attractiveness did not show statistically significant effects. Furthermore, storytelling was found to significantly mediate the relationship between influencer traits and consumers' variety-seeking behavior. Practical implications To enhance their Snapchat marketing efforts, restaurant managers are encouraged to partner with influencers who are not only socially attractive and trustworthy but also skilled storytellers. Such influencers can create engaging and authentic content that captures audience attention and effectively stimulates consumer interest in the restaurant. Originality/value Drawing on social influence theory, this study extends the theory by showing how influencers and storytelling shape consumer preferences and spark curiosity, especially within Iraq's restaurant sector. By exploring these dynamics in a Middle Eastern context, it addresses a gap in the literature and offers meaningful insights into how influencer marketing works across different cultural environments, including Iraq.