Micro-Influencer Marketing in the Fashion Industry: The Effectiveness of TikTok Campaigns Among College Females

Abstract

Influencer marketing alone is a growing field of study that still has many opportunities for research. The rise of micro-influencers, who for the sake of this study have between 50,000 and 200,000 followers, allows for a deeper level of personalized advertising. The fashion industry specifically has utilized this strategy with many micro-influencers advertising clothing to a female audience in their video content via social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. This study investigates the contributing factors to the effectiveness of influencer marketing, when it comes to consumer purchasing decisions. The results will be analyzed to determine any themes or connections between the types of content, perceived level of authenticity, visual background locations, and end purchase results. Data was collected through 133 anonymous surveys completed by female college students to gain their perspectives on their micro-influencer of choice. Implications for micro-influencers will be discussed.