Makassar — Digital authenticity has emerged as an important factor in building consumer trust when shopping through social commerce platforms. This finding comes from research by Nurul Haeriyah Ridwan, Damas Gianlugi Alrizqi, and Siti Nardiyah Muhrami from the Entrepreneurship Study Program, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia. Conducted in Makassar, the study involved six active social commerce consumers through in-depth interviews. The findings show that consumers are more likely to trust sellers who communicate transparently, present products realistically, provide credible customer reviews, and consistently fulfill their promises.
The growth of social media has transformed the way people search for information and make purchases. Social media is no longer used only for communication but has also become a commercial environment where consumers can search for products, compare alternatives, communicate with sellers, read other customers’ experiences, and complete transactions within the same digital ecosystem. This development means that consumer experiences are increasingly influenced by the quality of communication and the level of trust placed in online information.
At the same time, consumers have become more critical of information provided by brands, influencers, and online sellers. Exaggerated promotional practices, manipulated reviews, misleading product representations, and limited transparency can increase consumer skepticism. As a result, consumers are increasingly looking for signs that the information they encounter online is genuine and trustworthy before making a purchase.
The research by Ridwan, Alrizqi, and Muhrami views digital authenticity as more than simply whether a product is genuine. Authenticity also includes transparent communication, consistency of information, honesty in product presentation, quality of interaction between sellers and consumers, and the extent to which actual customer experiences match what sellers promise.
Other consumers’ experiences also play an important role in the purchasing process. Consumers do not rely solely on official advertisements from companies. They read reviews, examine comments, view user-generated content, and observe interactions between sellers and previous buyers. Experiences shared by other consumers are often considered more convincing because they are perceived as being closer to actual product use than official promotional messages.
To understand these experiences in greater depth, the researchers used a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with six active social commerce consumers in Makassar. The participants were selected purposively based on their involvement in purchasing activities through social commerce platforms. The researchers also conducted digital observations to understand how consumers evaluate authenticity and develop trust when interacting with sellers and digital content.
The interviews showed that communication transparency was one of the strongest indicators of authenticity for consumers. Participants felt more confident when sellers explained products honestly, including their strengths and limitations. Consumers also preferred sellers who provided detailed product information instead of relying on exaggerated promotional language. Transparency about prices, shipping costs, product characteristics, and responses to customer questions were considered important elements in building trust.
The authenticity of digital content was another major concern. Real customer photographs, videos showing products from different angles, and live-streaming were considered more convincing than heavily edited promotional materials. Some consumers even became suspicious when product photographs appeared too perfect. This suggests that realistic presentations can serve as an important signal when consumers assess the credibility of an online store.
Customer reviews also had a significant influence on purchasing decisions. Participants reported that they frequently read comment sections and reviews before buying. Experiences shared directly by customers were considered more believable because they came from actual product users. Interestingly, reviews containing both positive and negative experiences were perceived as more credible than collections of exclusively positive reviews.
Trust was then developed gradually through consistent experiences. Consumers evaluated not only whether the products they received matched their descriptions, but also the seller’s response time, complaint handling, fulfillment of promises, and communication style. When positive experiences were repeated, consumers became more confident in the seller’s credibility and were more likely to make repeat purchases.
The study also found that consumers use various mechanisms to reduce uncertainty before making purchases. Customer reviews, return policies, clear product descriptions, verified seller badges, and honest responses to complaints helped consumers feel safer. The more transparent sellers were in providing information, the lower the perceived risk among consumers.
Trust that has been established can develop into long-term relationships. Consumers who trust a seller are less likely to switch to another store. Positive experiences can also encourage them to recommend a store to friends. Some participants even indicated that they were willing to pay slightly more to sellers they trusted. This shows that digital authenticity is relevant not only to initial purchasing decisions but also to long-term consumer loyalty.
Overall, the research found that consumer trust in social commerce develops through an interconnected process. It begins with transparent communication, is reinforced by authentic digital content and credible user-generated information, and can eventually lead to long-term confidence and loyalty. Promotional strategies that rely heavily on persuasion without providing honest and accurate information may therefore be less effective in building lasting relationships with consumers.
For businesses, the findings provide an important message: building trust in social commerce requires more than attractive advertising. Sellers need to provide accurate product information, use realistic visual content, respond openly to consumers, and maintain the authenticity of customer reviews and user-generated content. Platform providers can also strengthen seller verification systems, review credibility mechanisms, and consumer protection features to create a more transparent and trustworthy digital commerce environment.
The research emphasizes that trust is not created through a single transaction or marketing campaign. It develops through repeated and consistent interactions. Businesses that maintain honest communication, reliable service, and consistency between promises and actual customer experiences may therefore have greater opportunities to retain customers over the long term.
The researchers acknowledge that the study has limitations because it involved only six consumers in Makassar and focused exclusively on the consumer perspective. The findings provide an in-depth understanding of consumer experiences but cannot be statistically generalized to all social commerce users. Future studies could involve larger samples, compare consumers with sellers and platform providers, and examine digital authenticity across different platforms, product categories, and consumer groups.
Author Profiles
Nurul Haeriyah Ridwan — Entrepreneurship Study Program, Universitas Negeri Makassar.
Damas Gianlugi Alrizqi — Entrepreneurship Study Program, Universitas Negeri Makassar.
Siti Nardiyah Muhrami — Entrepreneurship Study Program, Universitas Negeri Makassar.
Research Source
Article Title: The Rise of Digital Authenticity: Consumer Experiences in Building Trust through Social Commerce
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5 No. 8, 2026, pp. 3383–3398.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i8.267
Journal Website: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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