| dc.description.abstract | Social media influencers affecting their follower bases on the popular picture-sharing
platform, Instagram, is emerging as an effective communication strategy for brands.
However, utilising firm advertisements on Instagram is also a prevalent alternative as
it provides brands with precise audience targeting tools and full control of the message.
Thus, today’s marketers face a strategic decision problem when considering marketing
efforts on Instagram; should one use influencer adverts or firm adverts? With scholars
yet to uncover the more effective choice on essential consumer responses, we address this
decision problem by conducting an experiment with online questionnaires in collaboration
with two recognized Norwegian Instagram influencers. Our quantitative analysis provides
significant evidence that influencer adverts are more effective than firm adverts on brand
attitude, purchase intention, and word-of-mouth. These effects are attributed to the
influencers’ perceived source credibility, which is facilitated by trust and expertise being
carefully crafted through interpersonal communication with followers over time. Also,
high levels of credibility reduce the importance of the respondents’ attitude toward the
advert and sustain the result of influencer adverts outperforming firm adverts. Ultimately,
our paper provides valuable insight into influencer marketing, highlighting the importance
of credibility in selection and collaboration with influencers.
Keywords – Social media influencer, influencer marketing, Instagram marketing, social
media marketing | en_US |
