The Importance of Social Influencer-Generated Contents for User Cognition and Emotional Attachment: An Information Relevance Perspective

Abstract

It has become a marketing trend for marketers to use influencers to advertise and sell products because influencers can affect the attitudes and decision-making of other social media users. Most previous research on influencer marketing has concentrated on its effectiveness as a promotional tool. In contrast, there have been limited studies on the influencer-social media user relationship. The relationship that influencers have with other social media users is the foundation for the success of influencer marketing. Therefore, it is critical to investigate the factors that affect the influencers’ relationships with other users. In accordance with the concept of information relevance, this study presents a model relating the various attributes of influencer-generated content with emotional attachment and information quality to examine the relationship between influencers and other social media users. The findings of a survey of 280 respondents indicate that the interestingness, novelty, reliability, and understandability of influencer-generated content can effectively increase users’ emotional attachment to influencers. Reliability and understandability can also have a significant positive impact on information quality. This eventually inclines social media users to follow or recommend influencers to others, which can increase the popularity of influencers. This study helps researchers and marketers advance their understanding of influencers’ relationships with other social media users and offers management-related recommendations for influencers and marketers.