Behind the Brands: Analyzing the Characteristics of Social Media Influencers and Their Relationships With Consumers

Abstract

As social media networks become increasingly integral components in the marketing and advertising fields, companies have to find a way to stay relevant. The answer is influencer marketing, a type of social media marketing that utilizes endorsements from influencers to sway consumer behavior (Chen, 2021). Research shows that social media influencers have the potential to generate huge returns with billions of dollars being invested in the influencer marketing industry in 2019 alone (Stokel-Walker, 2019); therefore, this research will become increasingly applicable as the number of influencers continues to grow online.

The questions guiding this research primarily revolve around the characteristics of social media influencers. Determining influencers’ most compelling qualities, in the eyes of social media users, could help influencers increase their audience sizes and build better relationships with their followers. In addition to the relationships between influencers and their followers, this research will strengthen the relationship between influencers and brand partners. Insight will be provided to link select influencer characteristics and influencers’ persuasion power over their followers’ brand purchase decisions.