INFLUENCER MARKETING

ASHLEY CARPENTER, ELLEN GRAY, JENNA GAETZ, TOKIE O’TONA

Mktg 653- Buyer Behaviour

Medhi Mourali
April 11, 2022
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................. 3

Social Media and Influencer Marketing Overview ..................................................................................... 4

Who, What, When and Why .......................................................................................................................

..................................................................................... 6
Why is this phenomenon arising now?................................................................
........................................................................................... 6
The Rise of Social Media ....................................................................................
....................................................................................................... 6
Declining Trust in Traditional Marketers .....................................................
.............................................................................. 6
The Impact of COVID 19 .............................................................................
...................................................................................................... 7
Who is the intended market of this strategy? ............................................................................... 7

Influencer Marketing Analysis .................................................................................................................. 8

Social Influence .................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................ 8
Utilitarian Influence ............................................................................................
....................................................................................................... 8
Value Expressive Influence ..........................................................................
................................................................................................... 9
Informational Influence ................................................................................
......................................................................................................... 10
Influencers: 6 Basic Tendencies of Human Behaviour ................................................................ 11
Reciprocity .............................................................................................................................. 11
Consistency ............................................................................................................................ 11
Social Validation ...................................................................................................................... 12
Liking ....................................................................................................................................... 12
Authority .................................................................................................................................. 13
Scarcity ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................. 14

Appendices ...............................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................... 15

References ..................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................... 21
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The internet has opened many new doors for the business world, including the facilitation of new marketing
strategies utilized by large companies and brands. This paper aims to examine the rise of the social media influencer
and assesses how these individuals have become effective resources for companies in marketing their products and
services. Our team has conducted extensive research and analysis of this topic to better understand how influencer
marketing has grown and established itself as a dominant form of marketing, utilized by corporations of all sizes, to
better connect with consumers and sell their products and services.

We begin by exploring how the use of social media has grown in the last 25 years and examining its ability to
capture key audiences for companies through collaborations with social media influencers. This phenomenon of
marketing through individuals who are not directly employed by a company is known as “influencer marketing”,
whereby everyday individuals attain a celebrity-like status whilst maintaining the perceived trust, likeability and
authenticity of a close friend. While celebrity influencers do exist, this paper focuses on the everyday influencer who
shares information on a topic of great interest on their social media channel to gain a significant online following.

A brand is no longer We then discuss the key factors that have contributed to the rise of the influencer
what we tell the con- marketing phenomenon, which include: the rise of social media, declining trust in
sumer it is -- it is what traditional marketers, and the impacts of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We also
consumers tell each consider who is most susceptible to this form of marketing based on demographics
other it is.” such as age and generation. Millennials and Generation Z are the primary audiences on
social media platforms, having grown up using technology as their primary source for
-Scott Cook (Savitz, 2012) gathering information. This exposure to the internet and social media platforms makes
them the perfect candidates for influencer marketing.

This paper presents several concepts related to the science of buyer behaviour and explains how influencer marketing
has effectively capitalized on these concepts to persuade consumers to buy products. We discuss the implications of
social influence through the lenses of utilitarian, value-expressive and informational influences. We also consider
how the tactics used by social media influencers are related to the six devices of persuasion - reciprocation,
consistency, social validation, liking, authority and scarcity. These concepts help explain how influencer marketing
has gained traction in recent years and become one of the most widely utilized forms of marketing by organizations
to reach their desired audiences.

Our paper concludes by discussing the predicted longevity of this marketing phenomenon, and future challenges
that may arise as the popularity of this form of marketing continues to grow. Potential challenges include stricter
legislation and regulations, changes to social media platform configurations, increased focus on consumer privacy,
and increased transparency when it comes to influencer and company collaborations when marketing and promoting
products online. Our research has also identified a need to improve monitoring and enforcement of laws related to
influencer marketing. This would serve to reduce the issues of inaccurate representation and fraudulent behaviour
associated with influencer marketing in the years to come.

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SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFLUENCER MARKETING OVERVIEW

“Hello there, welcome to my channel!”

“Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button...”

“Follow me on Instagram for more…”

“Comment below if…”

If any of the above phrases sound familiar, you are likely one of Instagram’s 2 billion monthly active users worldwide
(Statista Research Department, 2022) and/or YouTube’s 866 million monthly active users worldwide (Ceci, 2022).
YouTube and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms currently in use worldwide (Appendix
A), of the 3.4 billion social media users worldwide as of 2020 (Statista Research Department, 2022). Since 1997
when the “first recognizable social media site” was launched (Hendricks, 2013), social media has not only become
synonymous with human communication – it has also become a major driver of business growth, accounting for $2.6
billion of the $9.6 billion spent in internet advertising revenue in 2020 (Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada,
October 2021). How has social media become this impactful in twenty-five relatively short years?

Sometimes referred to as social networking sites, social media describes “forms of electronic communication (such
as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share
information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos)” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Businesses use
social media to market their products and services while gaining quantitative insight into their customer usage and
brand perception. In addition to YouTube and Instagram, other popular social media networks used worldwide as of
January 2022 are Facebook, WhatsApp, and WeChat (Statista, 2022). Of note, the average user spends 145 minutes
per day on social media (Statista Research Department, 2022). The rise of social media has birthed social media
marketing for businesses, described as “the process of creating content for social media platforms to promote your
products and/or services, build community with your target audience, and drive traffic to your business. (Baker, 2022).
Given that social media is free it has proven to be an effective marketing tool for businesses, allowing them to both
reach their target audiences quicker and develop deeper relationships, which in turn builds brand loyalty.

As social media grew, the world was introduced

to a new type of celebrity: the influencer.
Celebrity influencers have played a large role in
influencer marketing, but more and more other
types of influencers, such as passionate everyday
influencers have been gaining traction in this
space. The different types of influencers can be
seen in Appendix B. Rather than being known
as a famous athlete or movie star, passionate
everyday influencers are social media influencers
who are knowledge experts in a particular field with
established credibility and a sizeable following on
one or more social media platforms. These topics
can range anywhere from personal finance and
(Geyser, 2022)

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technology to makeup, food, or even lifestyle; a lifestyle influencer can be described as someone who “posts quality
content that often documents their daily lives and are popular because their followers can easily relate to their
content” (McAlister, 2022).

Influencers build their credibility through sharing high-quality content around their area of expertise and build their
following by “engaging” with their audience through encouraging conversations on their posts and interacting
with other social media accounts. One popular influencer is Jackie Aina, who started as a makeup influencer on
YouTube and is now a lifestyle influencer on Instagram with 1.8 million followers on Instagram and 3.57 million
subscribers on YouTube. As an influencer she has worked with various brands on sponsored content including Two
Faced Cosmetics, Olay, e.l.f. Cosmetics and more (Kahn, 2020). Another popular influencer is Whitney Simmons,
one of the most popular fitness influencers on social media. Like Jackie Aina, Simmons began her online career with
YouTube and has now built an equally large following on Instagram with 3.3 million followers on Instagram and 2.1
million subscribers on YouTube. Whitney has partnered with billion-dollar fitness apparel brand Gymshark as a brand
ambassador and consistently features their workout wear in her videos (Cook, 2020).

Besides their area of expertise, influencers can also be

categorized by the size of their social media following. Followers
can be used to quantify the influencer’s audience, reach, and
engagement, which is helpful to businesses seeking to leverage
the influencer to build their brand through “sponsored posts”
(The Loomly Team, n.d.). These size categories are:
• Mega-influencers – more than a million followers,
• Macro-influencer – five hundred thousand to one million
followers,
• Mid-tier influencers – fifty thousand to five hundred
thousand followers,
• Micro-influencers – ten thousand to fifty thousand
followers; and,
• Nano-influencers – one thousand to ten thousand
followers (Sanders, 2022). (Saeful Rachman & Evert, 2020))

Using celebrities to influence consumers is hardly a new concept; brands have long used famous brand ambassadors
to market their products through print and television advertisements. The unique aspect of influencer marketing is
in the influencer’s authenticity and relatability as perceived by their audience, which makes them trustworthy, and
therefore more likely to have their recommendations be received well:

At a fundamental level, influencer marketing is a type of endorsement marketing that uses product
recommendations from influencers to drive sales, but its intended goals involve much broader outcomes, such
as gaining the attention of potential customers, generating word-of-mouth effects, and creating customer
engagement with a brand or a product (Yuon Kim & Kim, 2021).

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The benefits of influencer marketing were further discussed by the Influence Agency:

Businesses looking to breathe life into their brand should collaborate with a well-loved lifestyle influencer.
Through lifestyle influencer marketing, you’ll gain access to their audiences, widening your reach and raising
awareness of your brand. These communities trust and value the sentiment behind a notable lifestyle influencer,
meaning they’ll care about what you have to say (The Influence Agency, n.d.).

The global influencer marketing sector has grown substantially over the years and was valued at a record 13.8 billion
US dollars in 2021 (Statista Research Department, 2021).

WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHY?

I. Why is this phenomenon arising now?

Digital marketing is a relatively new phenomenon, driven by the conception of the internet. As noted by one
author, “The rise of the internet era led to a divergence of consumer attention away from traditional forms of media
toward digital mediums instead” (Johnston, 2021). The internet led to significant shifts in the advertising landscape,
discussed below.

a. The Rise of Social Media

With the rise of the internet, social media was born. Social media began to gain popularity in or around the early
2000s, reaching a major milestone in 2004 when the social media website “MySpace” reached one million monthly
active users (Ortiz-Ospina, 2019). The rise of social media has disrupted the way information is distributed and
consumed globally. New information and communication technologies, such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter,
and Facebook, have enabled users to connect and publicly exchange information, opinions, and experiences
through the internet (Etter et al., 2019). As social media becomes increasingly mainstream, consumers have
access to a variety of sources from which to obtain information (Wang & Lee, 2021). Over time, advertisers have
begun leveraging social media, inundating consumers with advertisements. As noted in the Journal of Marketing
Management, “Consumers use social platforms extensively to help in their buying-decision processes” (Martínez-
López et al., 2020). One author noted that “influencers represent a new category of opinion leaders...that has
emerged with the growth of social media opportunities” (Belanche, D. et al., 2021).

b. Declining Trust in Traditional Marketers

Increasing exposure to advertising through digital platforms has resulted in user fatigue. Many consumers are
actively avoiding online advertisements, signing up for ad blockers and subscription services (Hsu, 2019). Given this
fatigue, marketers have had to pivot to find ways to advertise effectively, including by leveraging influencers.

Influencers, who are also viewed as members of the general public, are commonly being recognized as powerful
marketing agents (Wang & Lee, 2021). This is particularly true given that there has been a decline in consumer trust
in recent years, with consumers becoming more skeptical of large corporations, institutions, and traditional media:

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One study reported that 92% of social media users trust influencers more than traditional marketing channels. In
global consumer surveys, 46% of respondents do not trust newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio, and 63% rely
significantly more on influencers’ recommendations than on brand advertising through traditional media (Yuon Kim &
Kim, 2021).

Social media users in their 20s are particularly skeptical toward traditional advertising (Haenlein et al., 2020).
Compared to traditional advertisers, influencers are perceived as trustworthy by social media users (Nystrom &
Stubb, 2019), in part because they are considered “more accessible, credible, and similar to [consumers]” (Barnes
et al., 2021). As compared to traditional advertising techniques, consumers view influencer marketing as “more
reliable, personal, less commercial and controlled by brands, more authentic and suitable to their tastes” (Martínez-
López et al., 2020). Additionally, influencer marketing “gives consumers a sense of close relationships and fit with
their favourite influencers” (Belanche, D. et al., 2021). In other words, consumers are more likely to trust individual
influencers, who are more relatable and personable than corporations. The growing lack of consumer trust means
that consumers are less likely to defer to traditional marketing institutions as sources of information, contributing to
the rise of the influencer phenomenon (Yuon Kim & Kim, 2021).

c. The Impact of COVID-19

Finally, the global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of influencer marketing. As people became
suddenly isolated, they turned to social media for comfort and connection:

The growth of influencer marketing accelerated with the outbreak of COVID-19, during which people increasingly
turned to social media for entertainment and virtual social experiences. Consequently, influencer marketing has
become an essential part of digital marketing strategy as a touchpoint for reaching a target audience (Yuon Kim &
Kim, 2021)

Although the end of the pandemic is near, these habits and trends developed during COVID-19 may persist after its
conclusion.

II. Who is the intended market of this strategy?

Influencer marketing broadly targets individuals holding social media accounts. More specifically, influencer
marketing targets young adults. Research has found that adults in the age range of 18-29 are significantly more likely
to have social media accounts than their older peers (Statista, 2022). Additionally, the younger Generation Z exhibits
fundamentally different media consumption patterns as compared to older generations, helping to drive the social
media marketing trend (Haenlein et al., 2020). Of note, a recent study found that 60% of Instagram users in the United
States are younger than 34, and 40% of TikTok users are teenagers between 10 and 19 years old (Haenlein et al.,
2020). Younger users are particularly susceptible to social media marketing, making them a more attractive market
segment (Haenlein et al., 2020). The target market may be narrowed even further to women, as some experts note
that women are more active and engaged social media users than men (Ekholm, 2020), which may make them more
receptive to social media marketing campaigns. Although influencer marketing influences certain user subgroups
more than others, it casts a wide net on all social media users, representing a strategy with significant reach.

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Companies that use this marketing strategy have some control as to
which social media users are influenced. Each company selects the
influencer they wish to employ based on the influencer’s audience,
which should align with the company’s target market. For example, the
global makeup corporation Sephora may employ the beauty influencer
James Charles for a brand sponsorship, since James’ audience on social
media matches Sephora’s target market (young makeup enthusiasts).
Stated differently, companies can use the influencer’s existing audience
to gain access to their desired market.

(Sephora Canada: The morphe X James

INFLUENCER MARKETING ANALYSIS Charles Palette is coming on 3/21/2019)

I. Social Influence

Certain principles underlying consumer behaviour help to explain why social media marketing, and specifically in
collaboration with influencers, is effective. Jennifer Argo (2019) explores social influence in consumer psychology,
examining the impact of a physical social presence such as a shopper or salesperson. The following explores the
impact of social media influencers as a non-physical presence in the context of three (3) types of influence: utilitarian,
value-expressive, and informational.

d. Utilitarian Influence

Utilitarian influence occurs when an individual is motivated to achieve rewards or avoid punishment. In advertising,
it resembles a strategy to highlight the functional features and benefits of a product or service. We will evaluate the
two principles of utilitarian influence outlined by Jennifer Argo (2019): affiliation related rewards, and social norm
compliance and punishment.

i) Affiliation Related Rewards

The increasing impact of influencers on consumerism have caught the attention of companies who wish to advertise
their goods and services (Lee & Abidin, 2021). Affiliation related rewards in consumer behaviour are when an
individual aligns their purchasing behavior as a means of affiliation or sense of belonging (Argo, 2019). Argo links
affiliation related rewards to a strong desire for social connections, tracing this back to our early ancestors who
relied on their relationships with others for survival. Influencers often interact with followers, reading and replying
to messages. This level of engagement has become the new standard for building a following and remaining
accessible to consumers.

Influencers are viewed as relatable and are expected to connect with their followers on an intimate level comparable
to that of a trusted friend (Berryman & Kavka 2017). Through affiliation, influencers can affect purchasing decisions
much like a physical presence by relating to their followers and becoming a valued opinion and trusted advisor. A
study evaluating why young people purchase the products endorsed by influencers on social media platforms found
that social identification with influencers as a strong predictor of online buying behaviour and intentions (Croes &
Bartels, 2021). Croes and Bartels (2021) argue that young adults have the potential to become emotionally attached
to social influencers, subjecting them to advertisement clicking and purchase behavior.

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Influencers are also subject to affiliation related rewards. Corporations leverage influencer marketing tactics to
promote their products through both independent and affiliated reviews (Pei & Mayzlin, 2021). Affiliated reviews are
sponsored and signals a close relationship with the corporation and monetary incentives. Independent reviews can
be either a positive recommendation or negative review and are seen as more credible in comparison (Pei & Mayzlin,
2021).

ii) Social Norm Compliance and Punishment

With their growing impact on consumer behavior and affiliation with companies, advertorial disclosures have arisen
as a new norm among influencers (Lee & Abidin, 2021). Although the monetary value of associated affiliations is not
well known, there is increasing concern around influencer accountability for claims of fraudulent advertising.

In August 2020, more than 70 YouTube influencer’s were exposed for concealing affiliations with some of Korea’s
largest companies and advertisers (Lee & Abidin, 2021). At that time, the Korea Consumer Agency reported only
an estimated 30 percent of published promotional content informed audiences of affiliations (Young, 2020, para. 2).
Followers were angered to learn that influencers were accepting payment for product placement without disclosing
their affiliations. Many influencers outed in the scandal faced significant public backlash, some even shutting down
their accounts as a result.

The fallout of the prolific national scandal was momentous, “Because celebrities stand out
threatening influencer-subscriber relationships and fueling online and draw the public’s attention,
trolling and “cancelling” (Lee & Abidin, 2021). Cancel culture is a people tend to be less tolerant
modern social phenomenon referring to a collective movement of any perceived moral or ethical
to withdrawal any kind of support – including unfollowing or misconduct”
unsubscribing – regarding those who have acted in direct opposition
to social norms (Ng, 2020). This example serves as a warning to - Song Jae-Ryong, Sociology Professor
influencers to manage their content in alignment with the dominant (2021)
ideological climate.

Regulations on product placement disclosures, specifically as it relates to social media platforms, have tightened in
many countries. Both France and the United States have developed regulations to ensure that promotional content
is clearly labelled as such, increasing transparency for consumers (Audrezet et al., 2020).

e. Value-Expressive Influence

Value-expressive influence refers to the adoption of behaviours and/or beliefs as a demonstration of one’s own self-
image to others (Argo, 2019). An influencers portrayal of self-image is on display for its followers; therefore, there is
a need to maintain legitimacy and aspirational influence. Influencers as Aspirational Reference Groups, are idealized
by followers, and can reshape attitudes and beliefs (Shareef et al., 2019). If viewed as credible, influencers can
generate favourable perceptions of products and services in relation to the enhancement of self-image. Successful
Instagram influencers position themselves as experts through impression management. Beauty, fashion, fitness, and
food influencers often portray a picture-perfect lifestyle to their followers (Devos et al., 2022). This ideal is not only
emulated through careful content selection, but also by manipulating images before they are posted.

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Advertisers can use value expressive influence to enhance their own public perception. For example, on International
Women’s Day, Microsoft teamed up with National Geographic to encourage young girls to work in STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Math). The Instagram component of the campaign highlighted female scientists and
outdoor adventurers generating more than 3.5 million likes (Elsey, 2018). The campaign used the influencer’s image
to inspire the audience’s self-image to achieve their campaign goals as well as boost public perception.

f. Informational Influence

Influencers are considered relatable in comparison to traditional celebrity figures. This could be a contributing factor
in expertise being less of a consideration in decision making. Their endorsements are positioned in the context of
everyday life, and not as subject matter experts. Therefore, influencers can be successful opinion leaders within a
targeted group regardless of qualifications.

i) Social Number

Croes and Bartels (2021) conducted a survey of young adults on motivation to follow select influencers; their findings
concluded that information sharing, and information seeking were one of six primary motivating factors. With the
complexity of determining credible information on social media, consumers are more reliant on heuristics and biases
to assess sources (De Veirman et al., 2017).

As a principle of informational influence, consumers use the number of people who comprise a social presence
as a relevant source of information. For example, a long lineup to a store is evidence that the store offers quality
products (Argo, 2019). Social number is highly relevant to social media marketing, as consumers may consider the
influencer’s number of followers, likes, shares etc. to be proof that the influencer’s endorsements are sound. The
greater the influencer’s number of followers, the more influence they have on their audience.

Follower counts on social networks help determine who will hire them, how much they are paid for bookings or
endorsements, and even how potential customers evaluate their businesses or products (Confessore & X, 2018).

However, up until recently, influencers had been using various tactics to acquire “fake followers” to increase follower
count. In January 2018, The New York Times published a detailed report documenting the unsavory practices. In the
influencer economy, perception is reality with the ultimate goals of visibility, cultivating a following and converting
that into commercial opportunities (Hund, 2019).

ii) Appearance

Wiedmann and von Mettenheim (2020) explore the source-Credibility Model in relation to influencer success,
examining attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness as key factors (Wiedmann & von Mettenheim, 2020).
Their study of over 288 participants found that followers placed the most value on trustworthiness, followed by
attractiveness. Although influencers present themselves as experts in a particular domain, Wiedmann and von
Mettenheim (2020) revealed that the relevance of expertise was hardly a factor in their success.

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According to Sigall and Landy (1973), individuals who are associated with an attractive individual are evaluated
more favorably by others. Therefore, followers may be persuaded by an attractive influencer to establish a likeness
or association to them as a means of enhancing their self-image. According to social adaptation theory, aligning
physical attraction with an attractive testimonial can support self-evaluation and self-improvement (Wiedmann & von
Mettenheim, 2020). Attractiveness in this context refers to physical appeal; however, other aspects such as likeability
and familiarity can also influence consumers.

II. Influencers: 6 Basic Tendencies of Human Behaviour

Influencers are largely successful due to their ability to capitalize on the science of persuasion to move others to
action. As noted by Robert Cialdini, “The scientific study of the process of social influence has been underway for
well over half a century, beginning in earnest with the propaganda, public information and persuasion programs of
World War II” (Cialdini, 2004). Influencers’ ability to exert social influence is extremely powerful: according to Argo,
“consumers will go to great lengths for an affiliation with a social presence” (Argo, 2019). The human desire to form
social bonds is so strong that it “can motivate them to engage in unethical behaviour” (Argo, 2019). As discussed,
influencer marketing has been incredibly successful to date because of individual influencer’s abilities to form
authentic social bonds with their followers. In addition to this, influencers have learned to successfully utilize the six
devices of persuasion - reciprocation, consistency, social validation, liking, authority and scarcity (Cialdini, 2004) -
through their social media channels to convince people to make purchases, recommend brands, and more.

g. Reciprocity

As explained by Monitz, “Reciprocity is the concept of ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’. Humans inherently
feel the need to return favors, pay back debts, and treat others the way you treat them” (Monitz, 2015). The principle
of reciprocity appears in the influencer-follower interaction (Yuon Kim & Kim, 2021). Yuon Kim and Kim explain that
the influencer is likely to upload content that can receive a greater number of views and likes, which reflects the
value of the reward:

The number of followers and their engagement level also depend on the value of the influencer’s content. The
mutual reinforcement between influencer and followers will be continued to meet the balance of exchange.
Furthermore, the exchange of resources contributes to psychological ties and motivates individuals to maintain
relationships. Those who engage in a reciprocal relationship can establish a high level of trust, affective regard,
and behavioral commitment (Yuon Kim & Kim, 2021).

Influencers provide a range of content for their followers to help them be successful and improve their lives. This
can include anything from recipes, life hacks or even make-up and hair tutorials. Getting this information for free
activates the concept of reciprocity from followers. Reciprocity by the followers of a social media influencer can
be seen though things such as likes, comments, shares, visits to the blog, word-of-mouth recommendations or
even purchases of influencer promoted products. Something important for influencers to keep in mind is that “the
reciprocity also affects the stability of relationship. If the exchanges between partners are continuously unbalanced,
the relationship becomes unstable” (Yuon Kim & Kim, 2021).

h. Consistency

Consistency is commonly utilized as a tool by influencers on social media. Often, the very first thing an individual
does is commit to a social media influencer by choosing to follow them on one or more social media channels. This

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small show of commitment can result in an increased likelihood that the individual will take actions aligned with what
the influencer requests from them in the future. Influencers have many tactics for getting new followers. One clever
example of this is offering giveaways. Influencers will partner with companies to offer free products but require you
to either like and subscribe to their channels or give your email address in order to be entered. Once you have
entered the giveaway, you have now committed to following the influencer and they can target you with more
content and promotions (Pepe, 2019). Another great example of how influencers “have been getting their followers
to commit to them is by having them vote in a poll, and then fulfilling that commitment. For example, asking
something like; “Do you want to get in better shape this summer?” getting people to say ‘Yes’, then hitting them
with ‘Sign up for my 30-day workout plan’ is a classic example of commitment & consistency” (Pepe, 2019).

i. Social Validation

Social validation, also known as social proof, refers to the concept of satisfaction in numbers or reliance on the
feedback and actions of others (West, 2021). As discussed earlier in this paper, the amount of likes, follows, or views
a channel has is a visual representation of an Influencer’s power and persuasion in the space. “As humans, we’re
more inclined to watch something if we see someone from our personal network has liked it and/or a large number
of people think it’s worth sharing” (Monitz, 2015). Influencers can do what they do because of the significant number
of followers they are able to amass. A prime example of influencers utilizing the principle of social validation can be
seen through posts celebrating the number of followers or subscribers they have amassed (Appendix C).

j. Liking

The principle of liking states that “people prefer to say yes to those they like” (Cialdini, 2004). When it comes to
social media influencers, likability is considered both in how likeable the influencer is, and how likable their content
is. Design elements such as avatars, logos and bright colours can be used to enhance likeability, and are commonly
used on social media (Rich Media, 2022). Rich Media also suggests the use of funny animations or videos to enhance
likeability. When it comes to likeability of influencers, “the influencers that people are most likely to look to are those
that are similar to them, who they present themselves as or who they want to be, those that are attractive or those
that pay them compliments” (Moore, Yang, & Kim, 2018). Influencers use the tools of similarity, attractiveness and
compliments to boost their channels and acquire more followers. Attractiveness permeates the influencer space and
you would be hard pressed to find a super successful influencer that is not considered attractive in a general sense.
The reason for this is that “physically attractive individuals are likely to be perceived as kind, interesting, sociable,
strong, modest, and responsive. These individuals are also perceived as motivated, decisive, informed, and logical.
Such positive perceptions of attractive communicators increase credibility and message acceptance” (Yuon Kim &
Kim, 2021).

When it comes to similarity, many influencers use storytelling to help humanize their brand and provide a level of
authenticity that their followers can relate to. Take for example the influencer Alexandra Rodriguez, who regularly
blogs about her experiences with weight gain (Appendix D). This is one of many examples of how influencers
can connect with audiences and gain likability through their authenticity and vulnerability. Compliments are
another tool used by influencers to help with their persuasiveness. Influencers respond to comments on their
posts and actively engage with their followers to increase their likeability. Whitney Simmons is a fitness and
lifestyle influencer who does just that (Appendix E). Another important part of this principle is how liking can be
associated with greater levels of trust in an individual. “The characteristic trustworthiness is the dominant driver of
the influencer’s persuasiveness. Expertise, likeability, similarity and familiarity have, besides their individual effect

12
on the persuasiveness of the influencer, an extra effect through trustworthiness. Trustworthiness mediates the four
other characteristics and leverages each characteristic’s total effect on the influencer’s persuasiveness, which is an
important and new finding” (Martensen, Brockenhuus-Schack, & Zahid, 2018).

k. Authority

Authority of information is critical to successful influencer marketing. “If a message is delivered by an expert in the
particular subject, then the message will appear more believable than non-experts in the said field” (Moore, Yang, &
Kim, 2018). Influencers by default are believed to have authority on the topics they cover in their blog:

An influencer is validated as an authority figure in a few ways. Follower count and engagement show that the
influencer is more successful than other people posting about the same topics. Influencers also post high-
quality content in a specific niche or industry, which makes them appear as informational hubs. There is also
a perceived cultural element to influencers. When an influencer is engaging with the latest trends, it validates
the idea that they are “in the know.” They appear to have the new pop culture information before anyone else.
Their positioning as an expert or guru is what allows them to be successful as an influencer (Donawerth, 2022).

For example, take Lauren Curtis “An Australian top YouTuber and makeup and skincare influencer that has earned
a massive fan following on both Instagram and YouTube due to her amazing makeup and beauty tutorials” (Amra &
Elma, 2021). Lauren is a source for many when it comes to make-up purchases. Followers are more likely to purchase
products showcased on Lauren’s channel because she demonstrates her authority and knowledge on the topic
through make-up tutorials or showcasing various make-up looks (Appendix F). Influencers can also show authority
by getting verified on social media platforms. Getting verified “screams this brand is a big deal” and is used heavily
to showcase an influencers authority to followers (Pepe, 2019).

l. Scarcity

The final principle of persuasion used by social media influencers is scarcity. “If your social media followers get the
impression that your products, or the products you are promoting are scarce, then they are more likely to purchase
the products. Similarly, if the advice that you share on social media seems difficult to access elsewhere, then chances
are that your followers will take this advice more seriously” (Rich Media, 2022). As noted by one author, “Limited
number and limited time...are the two core concepts that define the scarcity principle” (Pepe, 2019). There are
numerous examples of scarcity marketing by social media influencers.

When it comes to scarcity of information, you often see that influencers will provide custom codes on products they
are promoting which, if used, provide a discount on the product being purchased. Only the influencer’s followers
would get the information about this unique code and that scarcity of information can lead to purchase behaviours
by the follower. We also see this through limited time collaborations between two or more influencers, or between
influencers and companies. Take for example Elsie and Emma, influencers of a do-it-yourself crafting blog called A
Beautiful Mess. The two influencers partnered up with the company Swedish Hasbeens to create a one-of-a-kind
shoe that was made available for a limited time only. Another example is when Instagram influencer Chiara Ferragni
posted a picture of herself wearing a limited edition watch from Hublot (Appendix G). It is important that the
information related to scarce resources is true, and not being presented as scarce just to encourage quick responses
and action by followers. If abused, this principle can result in a breach of trust and retaliation by followers.

13
CONCLUSION

Influencer marketing will likely be a successful and long-lived phenomenon. One reason for this prediction is
that the internet – and in turn, social media – appears to be here to stay. Therefore, the platform for influencer
marketing should exist for decades or centuries to come. Furthermore, the influencer’s ability to market products
quickly and efficiently to the applicable target market segment is unique and valuable. This capability significantly
reduces the resources required for a company to determine how best to reach its desired audience. Additionally,
as discussed above, influencer marketing facilitates increased trust among consumers, who are more receptive to
familiar individuals than miscellaneous corporations. Similarly, consumers’ ongoing exposure to and familiarity with
an influencer may generate more loyal customers as compared to products marketed via conventional techniques.
Finally, influencer marketing successfully harnesses several principles of persuasion including those of consistency
and social validation, increasing the likelihood of consumers being persuaded by influencers (Cialdini, 2004).

Going forward, influencer marketing will likely become more heavily restricted and regulated in response to growing
concerns about the negative effects of social media on consumers. Further legislation may be enacted to place
restrictions on an influencer’s ability to market products to young social media users, narrowing their potential
audience. Furthermore, in an increasingly digital environment, there has been a worldwide trend to protect the
individual’s right to privacy. For example, the Canadian government has been working to modernize its federal
privacy legislation, in part to address online and social media activity (Government of Canada, 2021).

As privacy laws become stricter and consumer data becomes more difficult for companies to access, it may
become more challenging for companies to utilize influencer marketing. Finally, there have been growing calls
for transparency in online marketing, leading to mandatory sponsorship disclosure – these disclosures may cause
negative consumer responses to the content (Barnes et al., 2021). For example, with the aim of transparency,
Instagram recently began hiding the number of likes on users’ posts – the removal of this distraction may increase
consumers’ focus on the content of posts, raising the bar for influencers to produce quality content (Barnes et al.,
2021). The foregoing challenges also represent clear ethical considerations for marketers, who should contemplate
the potential negative effects of influencer marketing on consumers (especially youth) and respect people’s rights to
privacy and transparency.

The growing body of research on influencer marketing has

highlighted a need for harsher consequences when guidelines
are not followed. Evidence has shown that many influencers
continue to abuse tightening standards and regulations. As
influencer marketing matures, companies continue to search for
opportunities to systematically build trusted brand partnerships
to grow their businesses, while reducing risks associated with
inaccurate representation and fraudulent behavior. Opportunities
exist to develop better verification standards for influencers and
improve both marketer and consumer confidence.

(Geyser, 2022)

Notwithstanding that the social media climate may become more challenging, we believe that influencer marketing
will prevail, primarily due to its successful use of consumer engagement and connection.

14
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A

Source: (Haenlein, et al., 2020)

16
APPENDIX B

Source: (Ouvrein, Pabian, Giles, Hudders, & De Backer, 2021)

17
APPENDIX C

Source: (Solorio, 2020)

APPENDIX D

Source: (Rodriguez, 2022) 

18
APPENDIX E

Source: (Simmons, 2022)

APPENDIX F

Source: (Curtis, 2021)

19
APPENDIX G

Source: (Rock Content, 2021)

Source: (Swedish Hasbeens, 2022) 

20
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