Indian Journal of Marketing

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Influencer Marketing as a Tool of Digital Consumer Engagement : A Systematic Literature Review


Affiliations
1 Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110 016, India
2 Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110 016, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Influencer marketing is a recently emerging strategy that involves engaging people who are influential in the digital domain to share sponsored content of a brand with their followers. The purpose of this article was to review the published literature on influencer marketing, conduct a content analysis of the academic literature, and furnish a classification based on different parameters. The content analysis led to a distribution of articles as per eight different categories. This article provided the first such literature review of influencer marketing literature for the period from 2008 – 2019 to analyze and present the trends of this new marketing tactic, industries and fields involved, different platforms of social media used, key areas and methods employed by the social media influencers to connect with their followers, and spread a brand message. It was found that the major focus areas and industries utilizing social media influencers (SMIs) for brand messages and engagement of the digital consumers are lifestyles, fashion, and beauty. Empirical research was found to be predominant during the period under study. The most popular issues in the recent studies were self-presentation, para-social interactions, para-social relationships, and the credibility of the SMIs.

Keywords

influencer Marketing, Social Media Influencers, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Literature Review.

Paper Submission Date : November 28, 2020 ; Paper Sent Back for Revision : February 9, 2021 ; Paper Acceptance Date : June 19, 2021 ; Paper Published Online : October 15, 2021.

User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Abidin, C. (2015). Communicative intimacies: Influencers and perceived interconnectedness. Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media & Technology, 8, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.7264/N3MW2FFG

  • Abidin, C. (2016). Visibility labour : Engaging with influencers' fashion brands and #OOTD advertorial campaigns on Instagram. Media International Australia, 161(1), 86–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878x16665177

  • Agrawal, A. (2016, December 27). Why influencer marketing will explode in 2017. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/12/27/why-influencermarketing-will-explode-in-2017/

  • Ahmad, I. (2018). The influencer marketing revolution [Infographic]. SocialMedia Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-influencer-marketing-revolution infographic/517146/

  • Appelman, A., & Sundar, S. S. (2016). Measuring message credibility : Construction and validation of an exclusive scale. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 93(1), 59–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699015606057

  • Araujo, T., Neijens, P., & Vliegenthart, R. (2016). Getting the word out on Twitter : The role of influentials, information brokers and strong ties in building word-of-mouth for brands. International Journal of Advertising, 36(3), 496–513. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2016.1173765

  • Arora, T., Agarwal, B., & Kumar, A. (2018). A study of millennials's preferences for social media advertising in Delhi NCR. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(10), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i10/132334

  • Bailey, S. (2016). Performance anxiety in media culture: The trauma of appearance and the drama of disappearance. Springer.

  • Banet-Weiser, S. (2012). AuthenticTM: The politics of ambivalence in a brand culture (Vol. 30). NYU Press.

  • Blakley, J. (2013). Brands as publishers and how it's changing marketing [Blog]. http://www.postano.com/blog/brands-as-publishersand-how-its-changing-marketing

  • Booth, N., & Matic, J. (2011). Mapping and leveraging influencers in social media to shape corporate brand perceptions. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 16(3), 184–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281111156853

  • Christodoulides, G., Jevons, C., & Bonhomme, J. (2012). Memo to marketers : Quantitative evidence for change. Journal of Advertising Research, 52(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.2501/jar-52-1-053-064

  • Christodoulides, G., Michaelidou, N., & Theofania Siamagka, N. (2013). A typology of internet users based on comparative affective states : Evidence from eight countries. European Journal of Marketing, 47(1/2), 153–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561311285493

  • Chu, S. - C., & Kim, Y. (2011). Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising, 30(1), 47–75. https://doi.org/10.2501/ija-30-1-047-075

  • Connors, J. (2013). The benefits of user-generated content [Blog]. http://raventools.com/blog/benefits-user-generated-content/

  • Das, K. (2009). Relationship marketing research (1994 - 2006): An academic literature review. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 27(3), 326–363. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500910955236

  • Daugherty, T., Eastin, M. S., & Bright, L. (2008). Exploring consumer motivations for creating user-generated content. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 8(2), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2008.10722139

  • Freberg, K., Graham, K., McGaughey, K., & Freberg, L. (2011). Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality. Public Relations Review, 37(1), 90–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.11.001

  • Gurrieri, L., & Cherrier, H. (2013). Queering beauty: Fatshionistas in the fatosphere. Qualitative Market Research : An International Journal, 16(3), 276–295. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522751311326107

  • Halvorsen, K., Hoffmann, J., Coste-Manière, I., & Stankeviciute, R. (2013). Can fashion blogs function as a marketing tool to influence consumer behavior? Evidence from Norway. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 4(3), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2013.790707

  • Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content analysis for the social sciences and humanities. Addison-Wesley.

  • Huang, L. - S., Chou, Y. - J., & Lin, C. - H. (2008). The influence of reading motives on the responses after reading blogs. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(3), 351–355. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.0063

  • Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.06.004

  • Geyser, W. (2021, June 29). The state of influencer marketing 2019: Benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-2019-benchmark-report/

  • Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003

  • Khamis, S., Ang, L., & Welling, R. (2017). Self-branding, 'micro-celebrity' and the rise of social media influencers. Celebrity Studies, 8(2), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2016.1218292

  • Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons, 54(3), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005

  • Kozinets, R. V., De Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. C., & Wilner, S. J. (2010). Networked narratives: Understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 71–89. https://doi.org/10.1509%2Fjm.74.2.71

  • Latane, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36(4), 343–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.36.4.343

  • Li, C. (2010). Groundswell. Winning in a world transformed by social technologies. Strategic Direction, 26(8), https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2010.05626hae.002

  • Lithium. (2014). The power of peer reviews (White paper). http://pages.lithium.com/the-power-ofpeer-reviews

  • Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2018.1533501

  • Marwick, A. E. (2013). Status update: Celebrity, publicity, and branding in the social media age. Yale University Press.

  • McQuarrie, E. F., Miller, J., & Phillips, B. J. (2013). The megaphone effect: Taste and audience in fashion blogging. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 136–158. https://doi.org/10.1086/669042

  • Mediakix. (2019). Influencer marketing 2019 industry benchmarks. https://mediakix.com/influencer-marketing-resources/influencer-marketing-industry-statistics-survey-benchmarks/

  • Mir, I. A., & Ur Rehman, K. (2013). Factors affecting consumer attitudes and intentions toward user-generated product content on YouTube. Management & Marketing, 8(4), 637–654.

  • Ngai, E. W. (2005). Customer relationship management research (1992–2002): An academic literature review and classification. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 23(6), 582–605. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500510624147

  • Noyan, B. (2017, July 14). Brands are relying on 'influencer' marketing more than ever. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2017/07/13/brands-influencer-marketing-advertisement/

  • Padival, A., Michael, L. K., & Hebbar, S. (2019). Consumer perception towards social media advertisements: A study done in a semi-urban city of South India. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(2), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2019/v49/i2/141582

  • Rickey, M. (2013, March 8). High-concept outlet from H&M influenced by fashion bloggers. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013/mar/08/regent-street-retail-other-stories

  • Saul, H. (2016, March 27). Instafamous: Meet the social media influencers redefining celebrity. The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/instagrammodelnatasha-oakley-iskra-lawrence-kayla-itsines-kendalljenner-jordyn-woodsa6907551

  • Senft, T. M. (2008). Camgirls: Celebrity and community in the age of social networks (Vol. 4). Peter Lang.

  • Senft, T. M. (2013). Microcelebrity and the branded self. A Companion to New Media Dynamics, 11, 346–354.

  • Sharma, Y. (2016). Celebrity endorsements in an Indian perspective : A review. Indian Journal of Marketing, 46(11), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2016/v46/i11/104741

  • Sharma, P., Gupta, S., & Kapoor, D. (2020). Digital marketing and consumer millennials : A comparative study of men, women, and transgender consumers' buying behaviour in Punjab. Indian Journal of Marketing, 50(3), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2020/v50/i3/151029

  • Turner, G. (2010). Ordinary people and the media : The demotic turn. Sage Publications.

  • Uzunoğlu, E., & Misci Kip, S. (2014). Brand communication through digital influencers: Leveraging blogger engagement. International Journal of Information Management, 34(5), 592–602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2014.04.007

  • Venkataraman, N., & Raman, S. (2016). Impact of user-generated content on purchase intention for fashion products: A study on women consumers in Bangalore. Indian Journal of Marketing, 46(7), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2016/v46/i7/97125


Abstract Views: 272

PDF Views: 2




  • Influencer Marketing as a Tool of Digital Consumer Engagement : A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract Views: 272  |  PDF Views: 2

Authors

Anshika Singh Tanwar
Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110 016, India
Harish Chaudhry
Associate Professor, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110 016, India
Manish Kumar Srivastava
Research Scholar, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110 016, India

Abstract


Influencer marketing is a recently emerging strategy that involves engaging people who are influential in the digital domain to share sponsored content of a brand with their followers. The purpose of this article was to review the published literature on influencer marketing, conduct a content analysis of the academic literature, and furnish a classification based on different parameters. The content analysis led to a distribution of articles as per eight different categories. This article provided the first such literature review of influencer marketing literature for the period from 2008 – 2019 to analyze and present the trends of this new marketing tactic, industries and fields involved, different platforms of social media used, key areas and methods employed by the social media influencers to connect with their followers, and spread a brand message. It was found that the major focus areas and industries utilizing social media influencers (SMIs) for brand messages and engagement of the digital consumers are lifestyles, fashion, and beauty. Empirical research was found to be predominant during the period under study. The most popular issues in the recent studies were self-presentation, para-social interactions, para-social relationships, and the credibility of the SMIs.

Keywords


influencer Marketing, Social Media Influencers, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Literature Review.

Paper Submission Date : November 28, 2020 ; Paper Sent Back for Revision : February 9, 2021 ; Paper Acceptance Date : June 19, 2021 ; Paper Published Online : October 15, 2021.


References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom%2F2021%2Fv51%2Fi10%2F166439