INFLUENCER EFFECT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

Parasocial relations and social media influencers' persuasive power. Exploring the moderating role of product involvement

Sosyal medya etkileyicileri ürettikleri lüks marka içerikleri ile takipçileriyle etkileşim yaratmaktadır. Aynı zamanda bilgi aktarımı, yeni fikir üretimi ve trend takibi açısından lüks marka içerikleri etkileşim sürecinde önemli bir unsur olmaktadır. Dünya genelinde sosyal medya etkileyicileri ile takipçileri arasında bir etkileşim vardır. Takipçiler önerilen bir ürünü ve markayı deneyimleme, deneyimin bir parçası olma eğilimine gitmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı bireylerin takip ettikleri sosyal medya etkileyicileri tarafından üretilen lüks marka içeriklerine yönelik düşünce ve yönelimlerini irdelemektir. Sosyal medya kullanımının yoğun olduğu gençlere yönelik yapılan araştırma kapsamında 20 Aralık 2021-6 Ocak 2022 tarihleri arasında 13 katılımcıyla derinlemesine görüşme yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda; sosyal medya etkileyicilerinin ürün paylaşımlarının, katılımcıların satın alma davranışlarını doğrudan etkilemediği ancak önerileri değerlendirme sürecinde etkili olduğu saptanmıştır. Ayrıca sosyal medya etkileyicisine duyulan sevgi ve güvenin yani parasosyal ilişkinin önemli bir rol oynadığı saptanmıştır. Katılımcılar, sosyal medya etkileyicilerinin marka işbirlikleri ve kendi önerileri arasındaki farkı kavrayabilmekte ve iş birliği olduğu halde belirtilmeyen içeriklerden rahatsız olmaktadırlar. Katılımcılar, etkileyicilerin lüks marka tüketimlerinin onların statüsünü yükseltmediğini belirtirken lüks marka ile etkileyici uyumsuzsa markaya olumsuz tutum geliştirildiği saptanmıştır.

With the popularity and success of food-related social media content, food marketers have begun utilizing social media influencers to promote their food brands. In particular, mukbang—video broadcasts of individuals eating copious amounts of food—is a prominent genre of public social media food exhibition that can provide opportunities for food-related social media influencer marketing. The present study examines how parasocial interaction (i.e. nonreciprocal interpersonal relationships formed with media personalities) with a mukbang social media influencer impacts advertising effectiveness and information credibility. A total of 404 U.S. participants completed an online survey. Structural equation modeling found that participants’ parasocial interactions with mukbang social media influencers predicted perceived source trustworthiness, perceived source expertise, and credibility of the information regarding the food content posted. Furthermore, influencer source credibility and information credibility positively impacted consumer brand and video attitudes, as well as behavioral intentions to consume the foods featured in the social media content. Study results provide evidence-based implications for food-related social media influencer marketing strategies and insight into the important role of information credibility on eating behaviors of social media consumers.

Consumer Response to Social Media Influencers: Effects of Social Media Attachment, Parasocial Interaction, and Susceptibility

While social media influencers are gleaning increasing trust and investment from brands, advertisers, and followers, insights on the role of influencers in adolescents’ relationship formation and consumption behaviors are still rare. Drawing on the literatures of influencer content value, influencer credibility, parental mediation, and parasocial relationship (PSR), this study proposed a conceptual model that expounds the appeal of influencers among adolescents. To test the model, we administered an online survey – recruited in proportion to demographic quotas (i.e., age, gender and ethnicity) – among 500 United States adolescents (aged 10- to 19-years old) via Qualtrics panel. Results revealed that, the entertainment value of influencer-generated content, influencer expertise, trustworthiness, attractiveness, and followers’ perceived similarity to their favorite influencers, are positively related to the perceived PSR between adolescent followers and their favorite influencers, which in turn, are associated with adolescents’ materialistic views and purchase intentions. We also explored the role of parental mediation of adolescents’ social media use in their PSR with influencers. Results indicate that, neither active mediation nor restrictive mediation is related to the PSR between adolescents and influencers. Active mediation is negatively associated with adolescents’ materialism, whereas restrictive mediation is positively related to adolescents’ purchase intentions toward influencer-promoted products. This study proposed and tested a comprehensive conceptual model that accounts for the role of influencers in adolescent followers’ materialism and purchase intentions. This study yields three major theoretical contributions. First, it adopts and applies the concept of PSR from the literature of media psychology to explicate influencers’ appeal among adolescents, which lays a theoretical foundation for future research on the impact of influencers. Second, it advances the current literature on social media influencers by specifying key contributing factors for the development of adolescents’ PSR with influencers. Lastly, it explores the roles of the two facets of parental mediation – active and restrictive mediation – in the appeal of influencers among adolescents, which offers directions for future research of parental mediation in the influencer context.

“Stop the unattainable ideal for an ordinary me!” fostering parasocial relationships with social media influencers: The role of self-discrepancy

Extensive research conducted notes that no researchers holistically consider these problems. This research focus on the role of influencers in digital marketing, and the framework consist of a (Hwang, 2018) model with a UGT (User and Gratification Theory), and some variables are influenced by the Persuasion Knowledge Model (Friestad, Wright, 1994). Additionally, researchers have done their research on one YouTube video for a particular brand, so there is a need to research a public domain in which the focus is on all platforms of social media so that the result can be holistic. Further, researchers have conducted their research on generation Y, so there is also a need to conduct this research holistically. The paper used the SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) technique to analyze the data we have collected. The present research is based on a broad framework; this is why the paper has used PLS (Partial Least Square) to evaluate the hypothetical model. The findings reveal that social media users' para-social relationship with the social media influencers has a positive and significant relationship with EWOM by social media users and a negative and not significant relationship with the purchase intention of the social media users. Thus, it shows that para-social relationships increase EWOM, not purchase intention. Moreover, social media users' para-social relationship also depicts a positive and significant relationship between influencers' credibility and EWOM. Moving further, results reveal that para-social relationships with (Parasocial Relationship -> Influencer Credibility -> Brand Trust) and (Influencer Credibility -> Brand Trust -> Purchase Intention) have a partial mediation relationship. Lastly, moderation analysis indicates that there is a two positive (MOD (PR with IC)_ -> Influencer Credibility), (MOD (IC with Willingness)_ -> Willingness to search) and 1 (MOD (IC with PK)_ -> Product Knowledge) moderation relationship. The findings serve as essential evidence for social media influencers that their credibility impacts the purchase intention of the social media user as well as their excellent para-social relationship with the social media users will highly impact their EWOM. This study indicates that the para-social relationship of social media users with the social media influencers enhances the consumers' purchase intention and increases the EWOM (electronic word of mouth) between the social media users.

In recent years, social media influencers have become pivotal in shaping consumer behaviour, particularly in the fashion industry. This study explores the persuasive power of social media influencers in influencing purchase intentions of customers in the fashion industry. The research focuses on understanding the relationship between various factors such as informative value, entertainment value, authenticity, homophily, parasocial relationship, persuasion knowledge, and purchase intention for fashion brands. The study also aims to identify the factors that shape the parasocial relationship with online celebrities and examine the moderating effect of persuasion knowledge on the relationship between parasocial relationship and purchase intention for fashion brands. Additionally, the research seeks to investigate the influence of gender, age, and education on parasocial relationship, purchase intention, and persuasion knowledge. By understanding the factors that influence consumers; relationships with influencers and their subsequent purchase decisions, fashion brands and marketers can optimize their strategies for engaging with consumers through social media influencers. This includes focusing on providing informative and authentic content, emphasizing similarities with the audience, and considering the demographic characteristics of their target audience when designing influencer marketing campaigns. Overall, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on influencer marketing in the fashion industry and provides practical implications for marketers looking to leverage this phenomenon effectively.

Purpose With growing concerns about users’ well-being on social media, research stresses the importance of threat appraisals as a crucial first step in motivating self-protective actions. This study, in view of the prevalence of parasocial relationships between followers and social media influencers, aims to unravel the complex dynamics of followers’ threat perceptions within these relationships. Specifically, it examines how factors such as perceived self-efficacy to disengage and the positive affect of social media use influence threat appraisals. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model is proposed based on appraisal theory to examine the impact of parasocial relationships on threat perception in engagement. It is empirically tested with data from 186 Instagram users. Findings The study reveals an overall positive relationship between parasocial relationships and perceived threat. This relationship is moderated by followers’ perception of self-efficacy to disengage – followers with a high sense of self-efficacy to disengage experience a decrease in threat perception as their parasocial relationships strengthen, whereas followers with a low sense of self-efficacy to disengage report an increase in threat perception with higher levels of parasocial relationships. This interplay is pronounced when followers experience average or below-average levels of positive affect on social media but diminishes when the positive affect is high. Originality/value This work contributes insights into social media influencers, threat appraisal dynamics and digital well-being research. Bridging a critical gap in existing knowledge, the study identifies the pivotal roles of followers’ self-efficacy to disengage and positive affect in shaping their threat appraisals toward parasocial relationships with social media influencers. This not only advances theoretical frameworks but also enhances our understanding of the nuanced dynamics of user reactions to parasocial engagements. Our findings offer practical insights for researchers, practitioners and platform developers aiming to cultivate healthy and responsible social media engagement in the digital era, ultimately contributing to individual well-being.

Metaverse promises new frontiers in mobility, collaboration, and connectedness in a digital universe poised to digitize our world of workplace and marketplace. The current study aims to explore the effect of consumer neuroticism, parasocial relationships, social media influencers' credibility, and openness to Metaverse experience on the intention to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Prominent theories, including elaboration likelihood model and personality traits notion, supported the development of a multi-path model for the intention to use Metaverse digital marketplace. Drawing on extensive data of social media active users (N=1861) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), the novel findings revealed that parasocial relationships and social media influencers' credibility positively trigger intentions to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Moreover, a higher tendency of openness to Metaverse experience intensifies the effect of parasocial relationships on the intentions to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Interestingly, openness to Metaverse experience is negatively associated with consumers' neuroticism. The study implications offer new insights into parasocial relationships and the credibility of social media influencers in determining followers' intention to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Transition to the digital marketplace can be accelerated if consumers (prone to neuroticism) are offered professional support to overcome negative emotions (e.g., fear and helplessness) toward emerging digital technologies such as the Metaverse.

Metaverse promises new frontiers in mobility, collaboration, and connectedness in a digital universe poised to digitize our world of workplace and marketplace. The current study aims to explore the effect of consumer neuroticism, parasocial relationships, social media influencers' credibility, and openness to Metaverse experience on the intention to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Prominent theories, including elaboration likelihood model and personality traits notion, supported the development of a multi-path model for the intention to use Metaverse digital marketplace. Drawing on extensive data of social media active users (N=1861) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), the novel findings revealed that parasocial relationships and social media influencers' credibility positively trigger intentions to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Moreover, a higher tendency of openness to Metaverse experience intensifies the effect of parasocial relationships on the intentions to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Interestingly, openness to Metaverse experience is negatively associated with consumers' neuroticism. The study implications offer new insights into parasocial relationships and the credibility of social media influencers in determining followers' intention to use the Metaverse digital marketplace. Transition to the digital marketplace can be accelerated if consumers (prone to neuroticism) are offered professional support to overcome negative emotions (e.g., fear and helplessness) toward emerging digital technologies such as the Metaverse.

Current research on parasocial relationships has a focus on the media consumer and the media personae in television or film where the media consumer exerts time and emotional energy into the relationship while the character is unaware of their existence. The purpose of this study is to explore the Influencers and further conceptualize the term parasocial relationship to include these online mediated relationships and interactions. This study explores parasocial relationships and what is associated with them in the context of social media with respondents who consistently engage with social media Influencers. Social media Influencers address their audiences personally and share content that entices people to continue following or interacting with them. This mutual awareness between the social media Influencer and the media consumer strengthens the parasocial relationship. I hypothesize that people who consistently engage with specific social media Influencers will report positive associations between parasocial relationships, homophily, identification and wishful identification with the Influencer. The possibility and amount of interaction between the Influencer and the individual would also entice people to engage with the Influencer more frequently.

<p><strong>In the age of social media, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for shaping consumer behaviour. This study investigates how the perceived attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness of social media influencers (SMIs) affect brand engagement and purchase intention among Chinese social media users. Drawing on the Source Credibility Theory, Parasocial Relationship Theory and the Face Theory, the research proposes and tests a conceptual framework in which brand engagement serves as a mediator, while Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Parasocial Relationship (PSR) act as moderators.</strong></p><p>Data were collected through an online survey of 261 participants in China who actively follow at least one influencer, using validated measurement scales adapted from prior research. The results show that all three SMI characteristics significantly enhance brand engagement. Furthermore, brand engagement fully mediates the effects of perceived attractiveness, expertise, and trust on purchase intention, highlighting its central role in the influencer–consumer relationship. The analysis also reveals that the relationship between brand engagement and purchase intention is moderated by FOMO and PSR in complex ways. It is strongest under low levels of both moderators but suppressed when both FOMO and PSR are high, highlighting the complex interplay of psychological factors.</p><p>The findings offer a significant theoretical contribution by integrating cognitive, emotional, and relational factors into a comprehensive influencer marketing model. Managerially, the study provides strategic insights for brands in selecting influencers and designing campaigns that foster meaningful engagement and drive subsequent purchase intention. It also highlights the importance of psychological and cultural variables in shaping how consumers respond to influencer content, particularly in dynamic and socially driven markets like China.</p>

In a marketing environment where consumers trust each other far more than they trust companies’ marketing communications, social media influencers have become important mediators in consumer decision making, particularly for younger consumers. A social media influencer is an opinion leader or tastemaker in one or more areas of consumption, who has a considerable following in social media. Previous research has revealed that when consumers form a one-sided relationship that has an illusion of intimacy with the influencer – a parasocial relationship – they are more likely to be influenced by them in their purchasing decisions. The purpose of this chapter is to identify and analyze the nature and types of parasocial relationships formed between consumers and influencers on social media. This purpose is addressed through an interpretive, qualitative study (n = 29) of Generation Z consumers who can be considered as “social media natives.” The findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of how consumers form relationships with influencers and what these relationships mean to consumers in their daily lives.

“I follow what you post!”: The role of social media influencers’ content characteristics in consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs)