Users’ Perspective on the Credibility of Social Media Influencers in Romania and Germany

Abstract

The present research addresses the issue of source credibility of social media influencers from the perspective of users. Social media influencers are defined as online personalities with a large number of followers, across one or several social media platforms. They have a complex role, being content creators, online opinion leaders, and even entrepreneurs. Influencer marketing is becoming a more and more relevant component of current advertising campaigns worldwide. A consistent body of literature has underlined the importance of source credibility for the effectiveness of advertising. Recent researches on Source Credibility Theory (Teng et al, 2014; Djafarova & Rushworth, 2016; Munnukka et al 2016; Lou &Yuan, 2018) have stressed the influence of trustworthiness, expertise, similarity and attractiveness as elements of source credibility on perceived trust in influencer marketing. In order to gain better insights, we chose to conduct qualitative research that can allow us an in-depth perspective on the phenomenon of source credibility in influencer marketing. We carried out four group discussions in Germany and five in Romania. We explored the differences and similarities regarding the users’ perception of the perceived credibility of social media influencers.

Influencers on YouTube: a quantitative study on young people’s use and perception of videos about political and societal topics

“…Xiao et al (2018) found that the trustworthiness and the social influence of YouTubers affect the perceived information credibility on YouTube. Furthermore, Balaban and Mustățea (2019) showed that attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, and similarity are essential factors affecting the perceived information credibility, at least in Romania and Germany. The evaluation of these factors may be additionally moderated by the gender of both the media user and the influencer (Todd & Melancon, 2018).…”

What Do Adolescents See on Social Media? A Diary Study of Food Marketing Images on Social Media

“…Followers believe influencer endorsements represent a public display of the influencer’s intrinsic taste, rather than a violation of their followers’ trust (McQuarrie et al, 2013). Furthermore, viewers and followers identify with influencers as the relatable girls or guys next door, and as such perceive influencers as a credible source of information (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019). For example, in contrast to inaccessible traditional celebrities, influencers engage in direct conversations with and connect with their followers through their social media (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019).…”

“…Furthermore, viewers and followers identify with influencers as the relatable girls or guys next door, and as such perceive influencers as a credible source of information (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019). For example, in contrast to inaccessible traditional celebrities, influencers engage in direct conversations with and connect with their followers through their social media (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019). Moreover, influencers often establish themselves as experts in specific domains, adding to their credibility as sources for product promotion in the eyes of their followers (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019).…”

“…For example, in contrast to inaccessible traditional celebrities, influencers engage in direct conversations with and connect with their followers through their social media (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019). Moreover, influencers often establish themselves as experts in specific domains, adding to their credibility as sources for product promotion in the eyes of their followers (Balaban and Mustatea, 2019). For instance, a fitness model might be perceived as a credible source of information on the topic of protein shakes.…”

Philosophical Counselling, Personal Brand, and Social Networks in the Digital Era

“…The popularity enjoyed by influencers shows the potential that may be valorised by those who use virtual space and digital communication, be it individuals or organisations. 31 Until recently, we would invest in opinion leaders capable of shaping communication in the public sphere. Today, things seem to change in favour of social networks and of those that can influence the personal decisions of those connected to the new technologies in the virtual space.…”