Oops, I've overshared! When social media influencers' self-disclosure damage perceptions of source credibility

Abstract

Practitioners and academics have increasingly paid attention to how influencers communicate and engage with their followers. This research explored how social media influencers' intimate self-disclosure (SMIs' ISD) can shape perceptions of their credibility. An experiment examines how followers' relatedness need fulfillment and source credibility are affected. In general, people perceived high levels of SMIs' ISD as more damaging to their credibility than low levels of intimate self-disclosure. Boundary conditions are identified in the appropriateness of self-disclosure. That is, when participants felt that SMIs' ISD was appropriate, perceptions of SMIs' credibility were enhanced through the underlying mechanism of followers' relatedness need fulfillment. Results contribute to a better understanding of the application of intimate self-disclosure in digital marketing and advance our knowledge of the boundary conditions that affect the disclosure of high levels of intimacy by SMIs in a social media consumption context. The findings are also of direct relevance to companies attempting to enhance the persuasiveness of product promotions via followers’ relatedness need fulfillment and source credibility.