Published September 5, 2025 | Version v1
Journal article Open

THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFLUENCER MARKETING

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Trakia University

Description

Social media has become a primary environment for advertising communication, where traditional persuasion models are transformed into interactive and personalized forms. Influencer marketing combines personal branding, public visibility, and continuous communication with the audience, increasing perceived authenticity and reducing cognitive resistance. Theoretical mechanisms of social influence, such as normative, informational, and identification processes, explain its impact on followers’ attitudes and behavior. Empirical data show a moderate positive correlation between authenticity and trust (r = 0.42; N = 1,118), high reliability in measuring loyalty (α = 0.87; N = 808), and statistically significant effects from experiments with three and two groups (F = 5.42, p < 0.01; t = 3.21, p < 0.01). Qualitative interviews with 15 influencers provide additional context regarding trust-building strategies and parasocial relationships. The combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches confirms that 
influencers simultaneously affect cognitive, emotional, and social mechanisms, fostering identification and strengthening brand loyalty. Thus, influencer marketing is established as an effective tool for long-term digital communication and strategic brand positioning.

Files

Deutsche internationale Zeitschrift für zeitgenössische Wissenschaft №111 2025-60-62.pdf

Files (368.9 kB)

Additional details

References

  • 1. Abidin, C. (2016). Visibility labour: Engaging with influencers' fashion brands and #OOTD advertorial campaigns on Instagram. Media International Australia, 161(1), 86–100. 2. Djafarova, E., & Rushworth, C. (2017). Exploring the credibility of online celebrities' Instagram profiles in young female users' eyes. Computers in Human Behaviour, 68-71. 3. De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798–828. 4. Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (2005). Personal influence: The part played by people in the flow of mass communications (Rev. ed.). Transaction Publishers. 5. Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2020). Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership. Journal of Business Research, 117, 510–519. 6. Merton, R. K., & Rossi, A. S. (1968). Contributions to the theory of reference group behavior. In R. K. Merton, Social theory and social structure (pp. 232–280). Free Press. 7. Brown, D., & Hayes, N. (2008). Influencer marketing: Who really influences your customers? Butterworth-Heinemann. 8. Kelman, H. C. (1958). Compliance, identification, and internalization: Three processes of attitude change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2(1), 51–60. 9. Kapitan, S., & Silvera, D. H. (2016). From digital media influencers to celebrity endorsers: Attributions drive endorser effectiveness. Marketing Letters, 27(3), 553–567. 10. Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229. 11. Podnar, K., & Javornik, J. (2022). Influencer marketing as a value co-creation process: The case of micro-influencers. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 39(1), 20–31. 12. 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/10.1080/15252019.2019.1578526 13. Jin, S. V., Muqaddam, A., & Ryu, E. (2019). Instafamous and social media influencer marketing. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 37(5), 567–579. 14. Marwick, A. (2015). Instafamous: Luxury selfies in the attention economy. Public Culture, 27(1), 137–160. 15. Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4_suppl1), 33–44. 16. Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage. 17. Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2020). Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership. Journal of Business Research, 117, 510–519.