Credible Influencers

Abstract

Abstract. Influencers are semi-professional microcelebrities on social media platforms such as YouTube, often sponsored by brands to promote lifestyle products to followers. Influencers navigate opposing tensions of their authenticity and relatability with their carefully crafted personas and commercial interests. We draw from warranting theory to propose that influencer trustworthiness and expertise would be differentially affected by several key message cues: production modification, self-disclosure, and sponsorship disclosure. A 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with original influencer videos tested effects on trustworthiness and expertise, as well as downstream effects on attitudes and intentions. Video modification had a positive effect on expertise, but no effect on trustworthiness. Self-disclosure had a surprisingly negative effect on trustworthiness. Sponsorship disclosure only had an effect on perceived sponsorship. However, modification and sponsorship disclosure interacted, so that modification boosted both expertise and trust when videos were unsponsored. Finally, expertise mediated effects of modification on attitudes, and trustworthiness mediated effects of self-disclosure. Findings illustrate distinct roles for expertise, trustworthiness, and sponsorship perceptions in the influencer context.

An Elicitation Study to Understand Young Adults’ Beliefs About Seeking Health Information From Social Media Influencers

“…Once participants were consented and agreed to the ground rules and signed informed consent, two definitions were provided. A social media influencer was defined as “microcelebrities on social media platforms who make product and lifestyle recommendations to their followers (Johnson et al, 2021), act as opinion leaders (Bamakan et al, 2019), have large followings (De Veirman et al, 2017), and promote consumer–brand relationships across various product types” (O’Connell, 2018). Health information was defined as “the information we seek out or receive regarding illness, diagnosis, or behaviors that can improve our health, or personal experiences with topics related to fitness, nutrition, mental, and sexual health.” Health and health behaviors were contextualized for participants and limited to minor health ailments, such as skincare and acne, exercise, or the common cold.…”

“…One important source of health information on social media is social media influencers (Hendry et al, 2022). Social media influencers, defined as “semi-professional microcelebrities on social media platforms such as YouTube, often sponsored by brands to promote lifestyle products to followers” (Johnson et al, 2021, p. 1), are partly responsible for the rise of health information on social media. Influencers gain popularity through their presence on social media (Johnson et al, 2021) and are often considered to be opinion leaders with expertise in a topic area (Bamakan et al, 2019).…”

Antecedents and Effects of Online Third-Party Information on Offline Impressions

“…Finally, and central to this study's aims, the perception that online information faithfully reflects the target's offline characteristics should influence perceivers' impressions of that target, including their perceptions and behavioral intentions (Johnson et al, 2022;Walther & Parks, 2002).…”

“…Finally, and central to this study’s aims, the perception that online information faithfully reflects the target’s offline characteristics should influence perceivers’ impressions of that target, including their perceptions and behavioral intentions (Johnson et al, 2022; Walther & Parks, 2002). In other words, online claims that are perceived to have greater warranting value should serve as stronger warrants of the target’s offline self.…”

The Political Influence of Lifestyle Influencers? Examining the Relationship Between Aspirational Social Media Use and Anti-Expert Attitudes and Beliefs

“…Most of this research has focused on political news, commentary, and discussion, while less attention has been paid to how ostensibly apolitical lifestyle content on social media may shape political attitudes (although see Gil de Zúñiga et al, 2014 andSettle, 2018). On social media, influencers and opinion leaders creating aspirational lifestyle content are seen as credible and authentic messengers on a range of issues (Johnson et al, 2021;Schouten et al, 2020), yet there is little research on how exposure to such content may affect attitudes related to politics and science. Given the influence of these content creators in other domains, it is worth considering their role in disseminating political information and shaping politically relevant attitudes.…”