Bridging the exposure-to-purchase gap in TikTok Shop affiliate marketing: A trust-centered conceptual framework

Abstract

The rapid growth of social commerce has transformed consumer purchasing behavior, particularly through TikTok Shop affiliate marketing, where content creators integrate entertainment with product promotion in an algorithm-driven environment. Despite high engagement levels, a persistent gap remains between content exposure and actual purchase conversion, indicating the importance of underlying psychological mechanisms. This study aims to examine the determinants of consumer purchase intention in TikTok Shop affiliate marketing by focusing on trust in influencer, content quality, perceived value, and social influence. It also investigates the mediating role of consumer trust in strengthening the relationship between these determinants and purchase intentions. Methodologically, this study employs a systematic conceptual review synthesizing peer-reviewed publications from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2015–2025) using explicit inclusion criteria and qualitative narrative synthesis. The framework illustrates how selected variables interact to influence consumer purchase intention through consumer trust while explicitly addressing conflicting literature, disclosure transparency, and commission incentive dynamics. In conclusion, the study highlights consumer trust as a key factor in translating engagement into purchase behavior. It contributes to social commerce literature by proposing a trust-centered framework and offers practical implications for marketers and influencers to enhance credibility, content effectiveness, and conversion rates in TikTok Shop affiliate marketing.