סמינר בשיווק

Alexander Bleier from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Title: Influencer Follower Count and Social Media Engagement

 Abstract: Influencer follower count is a key criterion for advertisers’ staffing and devising of influencer marketing campaigns. However, whether influencers with lower or higher follower count are more effective in generating engagement is still an open question. The results of this study, based on data from the field and lab, provide conclusive evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between an influencer’s number of followers and engagement with her sponsored content. While higher follower count allows an influencer to reach a larger audience, it also serves as a cue for a weaker relationship between her and her followers, lowering followers’ engagement likelihood. As a result, engagement first increases, but then decreases in influencer follower count. The authors further investigate the moderating role of two campaign properties: Campaign brand unfamiliarity and campaign content customization. Both properties convey that the influencer values the relationship with her followers and thereby weaken the inverted U-shaped relationship. The results provide managers with novel insights and actionable guidelines to improve their influencer marketing strategies