Social media influencers: a systematic review using PRISMA

Abstract

Social Media Influencers (SMI) is one of the favorite domains for many researchers because of its powerful ability to connect stakeholders. The importance of this topic has dynamically evolved that attracted the attention of researchers, academics, manufacturers, consumers, and practitioners to exploit social media. The present research attempts to cover the dynamic changes that the SMI has undergone in the period 2011–2023. It further critically analyzes the most relevant 61 pieces of research published in different journals in the SMI domain. The identified researcher were critically analyzed on various basis like year of study, research design adopted, data analysis technique used, industry sector under study, and country. This enabled the exploration of the SMI, its growth, tapping the knowledge gaps, and identification of future research opportunities in the SMI. The most important finding suggests that the study field is dominated by qualitative and quantitative studies for solution-based approaches for society and consumers. The analysis also shows that there is sufficient room to broaden the research domain. Several prospective options should be looked at for instance quantitative modeling, the application of advanced techniques, and the development of efficient algorithms using machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence.

Keywords:

• Artificial intelligence
• deep learning
• social media influencers

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Elika Kordrostami, Rowan University Rohrer College of Business, United States

SUBJECTS:

• Business, Management and Accounting
• Artificial Intelligence
• Information & Communication Technology (ICT)

1. Introduction

Users on social media have gained a sizable following and fame on the internet through spectacular social media sites. They created a strong online presence with new internet sites for social networking, viz., Tiktok, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. These well-known users of social networking sites are termed ‘social media influencers (SMI)’ (Romero-Rodríguez & Castillo-Abdul, 2023), ‘social media stars’ (Hudders et al., 2021, Gaenssle & Budzinski, 2020), ‘virtual influencers’ (Huang, 2023; Pushparaj & Kushwaha, 2023), or ‘micro-celebrities’ (Chiu & Ho 2023; Gaenssle & Budzinski 2020), simply referred to as ‘influencers’, hereafter. They are encouraged to work in the industry to endorse products, brands, and ideas on their social networking pages, popularly known as ‘influencer marketing’. The businesses in this area have leaped, and they are expected to rise further. As per one of the forecasts, it may grow to the tune of $15 billion in the current year (De Veirman et al., 2017).

The influencer’s popularity makes people follow, thereby making them a popular brand ambassador. They are further judged as efficient brand promotors (De Veirman et al., 2017). During COVID-19, traffic and engagement on influencer sites increased (Taylor, 2020). For example, Instagram influencer likes increased by 67% and comments by 50%. Facebook and Instagram traffic has increased by 40% for consumers under 35 years of age (Taylor, 2020).

Virtual Influencers are becoming successful, as young consumers express interest in anime, comics, and game content. Various brands are promoting their products using these artificial humans to target these young consumers. These human-like virtual influencers have several followers and thus marketers are interested in using them to promote their products (Pushparaj & Kushwaha, 2023; Shmargad, 2018).

Employing SMIs has various benefits. BMW, British Airways, and Sprint, for example, have all undertaken effective influencer marketing campaigns. Thus, marketers employ SMIs to woo and develop relationships with consumers (Lou & Yuan, 2019). Expert influencers impact the purchase intention of electronics brands (Trivedi & Sama, 2020). For digital marketing organizations, Twitter networks are effective in promoting destinations (Bokunewicz & Shulman, 2017). Influencers strengthen consumer-brand relationships for beauty products (Forbes, 2017). Expert influencers are more effective for electronic products (Trivedi & Sama, 2020).

Given these multiple benefits resulting from the great effect of influencers on consumers, it is understood that a marketer would engage them for more benefits. Further, the marketer would be motivated to develop an increased interest in SMIs. Researchers studied SMIs from various perspectives. For instance, the impact of SMIs on various consumer behaviors has been explored by several researchers (Lou & Yuan, 2019; Trivedi & Sama, 2020). Abidin (2016) studied Instagram influencers to popularise fashion brands. Twitter influencers stepped into health promotion (Albalawi & Sixsmith, 2017). Destination marketing organizing was considered a new avenue for SMI (Bokunewicz & Shulman, 2017). Instagram influencers investigated the area of advertising language disclosure (Evans et al., 2017). SMI was also explored in the field of public health (Byrne et al., 2018). SMI also touched on the domain of mother’s love through mothers’ child feeding practices (Doub et al., 2016); and the beauty industry (Forbes, 2016). SMI was also explored in tourism in rural areas (Chatzigeorgiou, 2017); and used in strategic communications (Borchers, 2019).

Some of the previous studies highlighted the role of negative impact of SMI on adolescent health (Engel et al., 2024), unrealistic body and lifestyle ideals (Sukamto et al., 2019). Social media influencer may pursue commercial interest by advertising unhealthy products (Wellman, 2023; Willis et al., 2023). The vital task of educating influencers about their ethical responsibility, particularly regarding the promotion of harmful products, has often been overlooked (Hudders et al., 2021, Agnihotri & Bhattacharya, 2020; Boerman 2020, Chandawarkar et al. 2018). Equally important is the need to raise public awareness regarding influencers endorsing unhealthy products (Folkvord & de Bruijne, 2020; Childers & Boatwright, 2020; Chiu & Ho, 2023; Freberg et al., 2011).

There are several potential challenges and criticisms associated with influencer marketing in social media like authenticity and transparency (Abidin, 2016; Audrezet et al., 2020; Ge & Gretzel, 2018; Gensler et al., 2013), trust (De Veirman et al., 2017; Goodman et al., 2011; Gräve, 2019; Jin et al., 2019) and noise (Zimmerman, 2022), influence fraud (Shepherd et al., 2023), ethical concerns (Wellman et al., 2020; Karlsen & Aalberg, 2021; Kintu & Ben-Slimane, 2020). Addressing these challenges requires transparency, authenticity, and ethical conduct from both influencers and brands. It’s essential to prioritize genuine connections with audiences and uphold ethical standards to maintain trust and effectiveness in influencer marketing campaigns (Manzoor et al., 2023).

As per Lin et al. (2018), influencers can strengthen consumers’ attachment to a product by linking their personal status and emotional connection to it, thereby increasing its hedonic value. Several studies on influencer marketing highlight the development of an intimate bond with followers (Abidin & Thompson, 2012; Enke & Borchers, 2019). Influencers foster these feelings of intimacy by engaging in personal interactions and sharing content like hobbies, friendships, preferences, and daily routines (Enke & Borchers, 2019).

Moreover, review research on influencer marketing has developed from 2016 to 2020. Sundermann and Raabe (2019) were the first to publish a review of influencer marketing. They focused on the importance of influencers in strategic communications between 2011 and 2018. De Veirman et al. (2019) investigated the effects of influencer marketing on children under the age of 12. Nafi and Ahmed (2019) examined the literature in the tourism business while taking ethical concerns into account. Hudders et al. (2020) examined the monetization of social media celebrities. There have been several articles published in the literature review on SMIs. Table 1 shows the latest articles published in the SMI review. The majority of this research concentrates either on a specific issue (aspect), e.g. product categories, consumer-brand relationships, analytical models, among others or considers only a few dimensions. Although, these articles provide a great understanding of SMIs, when looked through a micro-perspective approach, they are found to deliver limited focus. The body of literature has extensive and diverse literature on SMIs. The majority of marketers support SMI; hence, a structural analysis is required to explore the research field from a new perspective. In recent years, there has been a noticeable absence of comprehensive analyses of literature focused on social media influencers (SMIs), despite the increasing traffic on social media platforms due to their free availability.

Table 1. Previous literature review summary on SMI.

Title of the articles	Author and publication year	Name of the journal in which published	Domain	Publications considered for the study	Methodology used	Outcomes
The mechanism by which social media influencers persuade consumers: The role of consumers’ desire to mimic	Ki and Kim (2019)	Psychology of marketing	SMIs influence mechanism	101	SMIs’ impacts on attitude lead to consumer’s desire to mimic leading to purchase intention and word of mouth on social media and desiring mediating role to mimic	SMIs as opinion leader leads to consumers mimicking and further affect purchase intentions and word of mouth on social media
Using celebrity endorsement and authenticity, the effectiveness of influencers on attitude and purchase intentions is measured on Instagram.	EssiPöyry et al. (2019)	International journal of strategic communication	SMIs influence mechanism	86	Hierarchal regression analysis	Photo of SMIs increases purchase intentions. Congruence between the photo and Celebrity has a favorable influence on people’s attitudes and purchasing intentions.
The challenge of new gatekeepers for public relations. A comparative analysis of the role of social media influencers for European and Latin American professionals.	Navarro et al. (2020)	Public relations review	Importance of SMIS in PR	101	Quantitative, survey	SMIs are important gatekeepers for communications professionals
When less is more: the impact of macro and micro social media influencers’ disclosure	Kay et al. (2020)	Journal of marketing management	Macro vs Micro-influencers and disclosure impact on purchase intentions	92	Experimental and PLS-SEM-based analysis	Micro-influencers are more effective when making the disclosure.
Diffusing fashion information by social media fashion influencers: understanding antecedents and consequences	Quelhas-Brito et al. (2020)	Journal of fashion marketing and management	Fashion SMIs	107	Fashion interest as antecedents to opinion leadership and usability of blogs further leading to fashion leadership, parasocial interactions, and consciousness using SEM.	Intrinsic motivation leads to fashion leadership, while blogs do not.
The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers	Hudders, De Jans, and De Veirman (2021)	International Journal of Advertising	Source, message and audience	154	Stern’s Revised Communication Model for Advertising	Authenticity of source and message play vital role in influencer’s effectiveness. Also transparency, storytelling and parasocial relations with followers increases influencers efficacy
Bibliometrix analysis of information sharing in social media	Abbas et al. (2022)	Cogent Business & Management	Information Sharing on social media	825	bibliometric mapping	The sharing of information on social media is linked not just to its quality but also to the pace at which it spreads, influenced by emotions.
Communicate your audience through virtual influencer: A systematic literature review	Pushparaj& Kushwaha (2023)	Journal of Content, Community & Communication	Virtual Influencer	67	SMIs’ impacts on Purchase intention	Digital influencers’ effects on the purchase intention of targeted customers
Foundations of consumer engagement with social media influencers	Bastrygina & Marc Lim (2023)	International Journal of Web Based Communities	Consumer engagement with social media influencers	45	Consumer engagement with social media influencers clicking, comments, liking, and sharing is based on three antecedent – brand-related, influencer related and social-related reasons resulting in brand purchase intentions, brand awareness etc. reasons such as brand placement (e.g. including a brand of interest); influencer-related	Consumers’ engagement with SMI’s influences their attitude, awareness, credibility perception, loyalty, purchase intention, relationship, responses, and trust toward brands
Towards state-of-the-art on social marketing research in User-Generated Content (UGC) and Influencers	Romero-Rodríguez& Castillo-Abdul (2023)	Journal of Management Development	User-generated content (UGC) and influencers	59	Impact of user-generated advertising content in the social marketing strategies of commercial brands	Suggest two types of UGC – those generated by personal and economic motivations

The present study amalgamates the SMIs literature from 2011 to 2023 and provides categorical classification and analysis to fill the various knowledge gaps.

The new review on influencer marketing may be considered significant as 1) there is a steep increase in influencer marketing due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is evident while collating papers up to 2023. 2) By completely focusing on influencer marketing, while past reviews only partially investigated this topic. 3) By equally focusing and studying various industrial sectors using SMIs. As a result, the current literature review-based study adds new knowledge to previous studies by revealing the current understanding of the strategic use of influencers.

The article is further organized as follows: Section 2 examines past published SMI literature reviews. Section 3 explains the research approach used. The categorical classification of the evaluated papers is carried out in Section 4, and the findings are presented in both tabular and pictorial forms. In addition, Section 5 discusses the outcomes of the classified analysis. This is divided into three subcategories, namely: significant findings, identified gaps, and future research directions, and limitations. The conclusion of this study is provided in Section 6.

1.1. Research question

‘How have social media influencers (SMIs) evolved and adapted to dynamic changes in the period from 2011 to 2023, considering factors such as authenticity, transparency, audience engagement, and ethical considerations?’

1.1.1. Objective

To cover the dynamic changes that the SMI has undergone in the period 2011–2023

2. Previous literature review works on SMIs

The main objective for implementing a review research approach is to analyze the previous reviews to make them comprehensive. This further investigates and contributes in terms of various contours related to the prevailing literature and substantiates the need for this research. In an in-depth review of ABDC and SCOPUS databases, we found ten review papers matching the SMI. These 10 articles have been further evaluated to assess the documented work in the area of SMI.

Table 1 summarizes the analysis-based conclusions of the numerous reviews conducted. Previous works have been evaluated using certain characteristics, which are as follows:

1. The study domain: investigated the study domains to identify the SMI aspects covered in the study with the adopted level of weightage and emphasis.

2. Articles published in a given period: This criterion allows the selection of published articles in the present study and the total number of articles covered in the review.

3. Applied Methodology: The applied method through which review assimilates all the articles covered under their study.

4. Research outcomes: it provides the potential benefits obtained from the review.

The research field of Social Media Influence (SMI) holds immense significance for burgeoning economies such as India and China due to the abundant opportunities they offer. Consequently, multinational corporations (MNCs) are increasingly rolling out their products in developing and underdeveloped nations to harness this potential. The advantages of utilizing SMI in these markets encompass heightened market penetration and brand recognition through tailored social media campaigns, cost-efficient marketing and advertising strategies yielding superior returns on investment, engagement with local influencers to foster consumer trust and credibility, and access to invaluable market insights for astute decision-making. Illustrative instances include companies like Coca-Cola and Xiaomi, which have adeptly leveraged social media platforms to amplify their presence and engage with consumers in India and China, propelling brand expansion and market outreach.

Nowadays, it is gaining momentum across all stakeholders, which has resulted in increased traffic on social media. As shown in Table 1, the assessment of numerous published scholarly literature evaluations in the area of SMI reveals academics’ keen interest. Khamis et al. (2016) worked on identifying the role of SMI in the area of self-branding and micro-celebrity. Vollenbroek et al. (2014) constructed a model for identifying SMIs based on a review and the Delphi method. Lim et al. and Trivedi and Sama (2020) studied SMIs in light of the source models. Chatzigeorgiou (2017) studied the impact of SMIs on millennials and Johansen and Guldvik (2017) explored SMIs’ impact on purchase intentions. Albalawi and Sixsmith (2015) and Byrne et al. (2017) focus on the use of SMIs in health promotion whereas Carah et al. (2018) explored SMIs’ effects on alcohol marketing.

Further, it is revealed that there is still a scarcity of literature on SMIs, as the majority of studies are either focused on a particular aspect of their study were limited to a few dimensions. For instance, Hudders et al. (2021) reviewed the strategic use of SMIs; they did a systematic review based on keywords but limited to three years from 2018 to 2020. They did not consider the long period to explore more literature. Sundermann and Raabe (2019) conducted a review based on Lasswell’s transmission communication model and considered influencer communications-related concepts like blogger recommendations and limited till 2018. Their studies were concentrated on a limited period. Gupta et al. (2020) only focused on ethical considerations of SMIs in the area of plastic surgery.

Pushparaj and Kushwaha (2023) conducted a review on the impact of virtual influencers on purchase intentions, employing the PRISMA approach. Bastrygina and Marc Lim (2023) carried out a systematic review examining consumer engagement with social media influencers, considering three main antecedents: brand-related, influencer-related, and social-related factors. Consumer engagement with social media involves clicking, commenting, liking, or sharing content, which can influence attitudes, awareness, perceptions of credibility, loyalty, purchase intentions, relationships, responses, and trust towards brands.

Even though extensive articles have been published on SMIs, only a few have attempted to provide a full review of them. As a result, the current study covers a lengthy period and provides a systematic review of SMI-based research. It then looks at the different kinds of research opportunities that can be carried out in the SMI domain.

2.1. Research motivation

Due to the rising importance of social media platforms as forms of consumer behavior and brand engagement, the research is designed to provide a detailed exploration of Social Media Influence. considering the suggestion offered by Arora et al. (2019), that ‘sound quantitative research is needed in SMIs choice and validation’, this paper is to answer the following question: what are the primary causes and implications of SMI in modern marketing landscapes? Recognizing the nuanced interaction between qualitative and quantitative research evident from the literature, the purpose is to determine and distinguish the common research methodologies applied in the study of SMI to identify knowledge gaps. By utilizing multiple data collection instruments ranging from quantitative surveys, data analytics, and qualitative interviews and possibly utilizing mixed-method identified an agenda for research that covered a perspective for developing an all-inclusive view of the influence of SMI on consumer behavior, perception of brand, and strategies utilized in the market. It is expected to ‘contribute to the literature within the domain area of SMI, as well as to applicable marketing practice, by providing theory-driven and grounded insights, which are empirically validated in an even more digitized and socially engrossed atmosphere. SMIs can disseminate positive or negative information about products, brands, or services to their followers (Vollenbroek et al., 2014). Whereas Biran (2012) used a machine learning approach for detecting online influencers, hence it is important to identify SMI’s value of the influencers and static-like in-degree distribution of the consumers can be insightful for selecting the influencers. The involvement of multifaceted variables like popularity, value, and followers of influencers makes the employment of influencers challenging. As a result, there is a need to understand the existing tools and procedures (conventional or analytics) employed in structuring, analyzing, and accomplishing required outcomes for various simple to complex decisions. Ansari and Kant (2017) suggest that a research methodology such as a survey type helps in gathering huge data by administrating questionnaires for the research area. The gathered data may be analyzed and summarized by applying various data analytics. Thus, decision-making becomes easy for researchers. It is also important to gauge the type of techniques whether conventional or nonconventional used in advancing the knowledge domain.

2.2 Aims of research

Following the aforementioned research motivations, the current study attempts a literature review on SMIs and evaluates their current research state. It also attempts to collect various articles using a robust structured search ensured by the research method to classify them into various domains of SMIs. The following research questions are attempted in the present literature review:

• What is the current state of research in SMIs?

• What types of approaches and research designs are attempted in SMIs?

• What are the various techniques employed for data gathering and its analysis?

• What are the industry sectors involved in SMI and which countries dominate the SMI research domain?

• What are the various decision-making strategies used in SMI?

• Finally, what are the research gaps that need to be filled to advance knowledge in the SMI domain?

3. Research methodology

To answer the aforesaid research issues, a comprehensive literature review was carried out. Fink (1998) emphasizes the importance of a reproducible design when viewing published articles. Reproducible design in a research article refers to a study’s methodology and investigation approach that can be repeated by other researchers with the potential to reproduce the actual findings of the study. Reproducible design basically means that the study’s methods, procedures, and results can be confirmed by an independent individual within the scientific community. Reproducibility is one of the first principles of science, and a study’s results should be able to be independently verified to achieve scientific legitimacy. He also stated that a reproducible design allows for a systematic review of published articles. Systematic in this context refers to following a well-organized method to examine the research presented in the article.

A systematic approach involves using predefined criteria and methods to systematically search, select, and analyze relevant articles. The importance of an explicit approach was also emphasized by the author in reviewing published articles. An explicit approach entails clearly defining and articulating the criteria, methods, and rationale that underpin the evaluation and interpretation of research articles. By this act of making explicit their processes, researchers ensure transparency and rigor in how they go about their assessment process; thus making it more comprehensible by others and also reproducible.

According to Tranfield et al. (2003), the method of literature review becomes an important tool to assess the research field to obtain diverse knowledge as follows:

• Mapping, assessing, and consolidating the existing body of knowledge in the research domain under study.

• Develop an existing body of knowledge further by exploring the research gaps in the research domain under study.

The most appropriate method of conducting a literature study is to collect data on a given subject and evaluate it from numerous angles (Brandenburg et al., 2014). Content analysis and systematic literature review are research methods used to analyze and evaluate the existing body of knowledge on a specific topic. These methods involve extracting relevant information from a set of selected articles and conducting a comprehensive analysis to identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the literature. The results of content analysis and systematic literature review provide valuable insights into the state-of-the-art research, theoretical foundations, methodologies, and contributions to the field. They also help identify influential authors, papers, and journals in the field, as well as potential areas for future research and improvement (Kedir & Fayek, 2023; Khirfan et al., 2020).

The qualitative content analysis is used in the systematic literature review and follows the suggested step-by-step process by Zhang and Wildemuth (2009), as follows:

1. Material Gathering – Material gathering, defining unit of analysis, defining criteria for inclusion/exclusion, relevancy of data collected

2. Descriptive Analysis – Selecting background for theoretical analysis based on the formal aspect of data collection

3. Category Development – based on previous research and defining and classifying each dimension of data collected for analysis

4. Material Evaluation – based on structural dimensions of data collected, identifying issues, and interpretation of results

3.1. Material collection

Content analysis has been applied systematically in undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the literature on SMI. A methodical keyword search in major databases and library services was used to conduct a literature evaluation (Seuring & Gold, 2012). Alternative keywords are also looked up from the database thesaurus. Apart from keyword search, relevant articles are identified by scanning the tables of content of relevant journals to pinpoint articles that didn’t show up in the keyword search (Webster & Watson, 2002). To do the systemic research, we followed the four-step process in systematic order: database identification, inclusive criteria, exclusive criteria, and search for relevant publications in the SMI domain.

3.1.1. Database identification

Review papers were selected from ABDC/SCOPUS journals because of their wide coverage. It contains over 2,682 journals (ABDC) and 21,500 peer-reviewed journals with the SCOPUS database containing 7.2 million conference papers.

3.1.2. Inclusive criteria

The literature sample consists of peer-reviewed literature review papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals between 2011 and 2023. Peer-reviewed publications are used as the basis of analysis because they are the most common route of information transfer and effective communication.

3.1.3. Exclusive criteria

To maintain unity among published reviews, conference proceedings, working papers, technical reports, and book chapters are not included in the evaluation. Further, those articles that did not address the impact of influencers on social media were also excluded after analyzing the abstract.

3.1.4. Search for relevant publications in the SMI domain

Our systematic literature review follows the guidelines set forth by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, which is recognized as one of the leading protocols in this field (Moher et al., 2009; Page et al., 2021; Romero-Rodriguez & Castillo-Abdul, 2023).

To find papers on the topic of SMI, the keyword ‘social media influencer’ was googled. Initiating the first search that included the phrase ‘social media influencers’ yielded 310 articles from the database. Hence, to limit the articles, the same keyword was further used in scanning the titles, abstracts, and keywords. During the first step, a total of 237 articles were collected.

A total of 77 articles were collected after preliminary filtering of the total articles. A final filter was applied which resulted in a total of 61 peer-reviewed articles for the studying and analysis. The final filtered articles belong to top-notch publishers, their final grouping belongs to Elsevier (15), Emerald (8), Taylor and Francis (25), Wiley (2), Sage (5), Inderscience (02), ScienceDirect (01) and Oxford (03). An MS Excel sheet was used to collect the necessary information for a full paper analysis of 61 articles (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Steps for screening and filtering articles for final inclusion in the review study following the PRISMA model.

3.2. Criteria selection for content analysis

The content analysis criterion must be determined to meet the research questions. The collected reviewed material can be classified on dimensions and related analytical categories based on an inductive or deductive approach (Seuring & Müller, 2008). The deductive approach is employed while assessing them.

The descriptive analysis was carried out using a systematic evaluation process considering the approved set of publications. The evaluation process considered the various parameters like the distribution of published articles over a specified period and in selected major journals; research techniques employed and research design; strategies for data analysis tool selection; industry covered for the research domain; the contribution of the primary authors to the research topic; universities and countries actively participating in the research field; SMI’s enablers and barriers (Table 2).

Table 2. Categories construction for SMI literature review.

Main classification of SMI	Sub-classifications of SMI	Description
Scopus /ABDC-indexed journals	High-quality journals	Targeting journals that publish SMI research
Year-wise		Studying the evaluation of the present research field for over 13 years (2011–2023) period
Research methodology	Conceptual/theoretical model	Designing of conceptual framework based on theory for easy understanding
	Simulation	Preparation of model and validating it to solve SMI-related real case
	Interviews	Searching for several approaches used in interview techniques
	Modeling	Creating an easy understanding by using mathematical models in research
	Survey-based	Various survey techniques employed
	Case study	Identifying wider research areas and then narrowing them to industry-specific real-time problem
Study design employed	Qualitative	Building conceptual/ theoretical models, developing prepositions for future research
	Quantitative	Mathematical modeling, simulation
	Empirical qualitative	Based on the data gathering depending on the type of interviews or case studies
	Empirical triangulation	For data collecting, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies is used.
	Empirical quantitative	Research-based on a survey of SMIs
The technique used for data analysis	Various statistical analyses, along with structural equation modeling (SEM)	Creating valuable information, arriving at conclusions, and enabling decision-making by inspecting, filtering, transforming, and data modeling data analysis tool used in SMI
Author-wise		Authors who are well-known in the SMI
Country-wise		The countries involved in SMI research
Enablers		Drivers promoting SMI
Barriers		Barriers that hinder SMI

4. Descriptive analysis

This section examines the evaluated papers from a variety of perspectives. To summarize the results in each category, tables and figures are employed, resulting in a simple presentation of the data.

4.1. Articles are analyzed based on their publication years

Based on the frequency of SMI paper publication (61), a frequency analysis of publications was carried out following the parameter of ‘publication year’. Figure 2 shows the publication year spread for SMI. The figure also depicts the SMI research trend. The research between 2011 and 2015 (11.47%) was still lagging, although the social media influencers were gaining importance in the market. In the year 2011, three articles were published, but then a downward trend with a steady rate of one article was observed till 2015. Research publications gained a definite surge during 2016, but took a speedy uptrend from 2019 (50.81%) onwards. SMI often plays the role of opinion leaders that drive the buying intentions of consumers. The marketers have realized that the emotional bond of SMI is due to the significant contribution in gaining the acceptance of endorsed brands effectively. In recent years, influencers’ ability to strengthen the trustworthiness among followers with the quality of the information provided by them has been observed by marketers as helping in molding the positive attitude of consumers.

Figure 2. SMI publication year spread.

Academics and practitioners have come forth to discuss how social media influencers might help with brand equity. The shifting focus of researchers toward SMI is evident from the rising frequency of research publications in recent years.

4.2. Systematic assessment of articles from various journals

The 61 studies on SMI that were chosen were published in 42 different journals. Table 3 gives Journal-wise paper distribution wherein SMI research has appeared. The large spectrum of the journals also shows the willingness to accommodate the subject domain of SMI. The review revealed that 31 journals have published a single study on SMI. The review also revealed frequencies of more than three publications among leading journals in the SMI domain belonging to the International Journal of Strategic Communication (5), Journal of Interactive Marketing (4), International Journal of Advertising (4), and Public Relations Review (3). Further, based on the high percentage of SMI-related article publications these journals may be considered core journals.

Table 3. Journal-wise paper distribution.

Journals	Number of papers	%
International Journal of Strategic Communication	5	0.08
Journal of Interactive Marketing	4	0.07
International Journal of Advertising	4	0.07
Public Relations Review	3	0.05
Information Science	2	0.03
Journal of Business Research	2	0.03
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology	2	0.03
Journal of Marketing Management	2	0.03
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services	2	0.03
Social Media + Society	2	0.03
International Journal of Web Based Communities	2	0.03
Aesthetic Surgery Journal	1	0.02
Anatolia	1	0.02
Digital Journalism	1	0.02
Applied Computing and Informatics	1	0.02
Computers in Human Behaviour	1	0.02
Corporate Communication: An International Journal	1	0.02
Critical Public Health	1	0.02
Digital Health	1	0.02
European Business Review	1	0.02
Health Promotion International	1	0.02
Heliyon	1	0.02
International Journal of Market Research	1	0.02
Journal of Communication	1	0.02
Journal of Consumer Research	1	0.02
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising	1	0.02
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management	1	0.02
Journal of International Consumer Marketing	1	0.02
Journal of Internet Commerce	1	0.02
Journal of Media Ethics	1	0.02
Journal of Political Marketing	1	0.02
Journal of Product and Brand Management	1	0.02
Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology	1	0.02
Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing	1	0.02
Marketing Intelligence and Planning	1	0.02
Media Asia	1	0.02
Media International Australia	1	0.02
Media Psychology	1	0.02
Psychology of Marketing	1	0.02
Journal of Content, Community & Communication	1	0.02
Journal of Management Development	1	0.02
Cogent Business & Management	1	0.02

4.3. Research methodology

Various academics have used various research methodologies to classify the literature such as case studies, surveys, conceptual and theoretical models, and articles using surveys and interviews. Following a thorough review of the papers, Table 4 provides frequently used research methodologies. The most used methodology approach belongs to conceptual and theoretical models (19 publications). When there is no prior hypothesis, the previous study has used a theoretical or conceptual approach from the obtained data as a basis for future research.

Table 4. Research approaches in SMI.

Research method deployed	Number of papers	%
Conceptual/Theoretical Model	19	31.15
Simulation	10	16.39
Others	14	22.95
Interviews	8	13.11
Mathematical Modeling	5	8.20
Survey	3	4.92
Case Study	2	3.28
Total	61	100

As a result, there is still a lack of research on SMI, and to identify the essential difficulties, researchers are conducting more theoretical or concept studies to have a better grasp of the subject. Simulation models (10 papers) are the study’s second most popular method. The simulation-based research methodology may be regarded as a future SMI research domain. The survey includes developing a study-related questionnaire and gathering high sample sizes. It accounts for three of the total number of articles. Five publications were contributed by quantitative approaches, such as the development of a mathematical model for decision making. There were only a few articles that included interviews (8 papers), case studies (2 papers), and surveys (3 papers). Based on this finding, it can be concluded that a conceptual model-based study will drive SMI research.

4.4. Paper categorization using research design

The review revealed that there are two approaches of empirical research and desk research used in SMI publications. The various studies observed include qualitative and quantitative-based empirical study, qualitative and quantitative desk empirical study, and empirical triangulation. Table 5 indicates the percentage of research design employed in the set of publications assessed.

Table 5. Distribution of reviewed papers on research design.

Research Design	No of papers	%
Desk Qualitative	19	31.15
Desk Quantitative	15	24.59
Empirical Triangulation	14	22.95
Empirical Qualitative	10	16.39
Empirical Quantitative	3	4.92
Total	61	100

Desk qualitative that includes conceptual models to test the hypothesis designed based on models or propositions developed for future research is the most used method that accounts for 31.15% of the papers reviewed. Desk quantitative comprising of mathematical models and simulation techniques used contributes to 24.59%. The papers using case studies or interviews as an empirical qualitative type of research design are about 16.39% of the total peer-reviewed journals. Empirical triangulation is a research design strategy that collects data utilizing many methods such as questionnaires, interviews, and observations 22.95%. The empirical quantitative method is the least used (4.92%) and includes surveys of respondents. As a result of the analysis, qualitative research (47.54%) is more prevalent in the field of social media influencers than quantitative research (29.51% of the reviewed papers). Table 5 shows the distribution of research design publications that have been peer-reviewed.

4.5. Article analysis based on SMI industry

Researchers in the field of SMIs have looked at a variety of sectors. The classification and analysis of papers by the industrial sector will improve the sector-specific application of SMI research. Table 6 summarizes the type of industries with the respective number of articles published in the field of SMI. Researchers apply the SMI concept heavily in advertising and social media, according to the table. This is because social media influencers and multi-media platforms have a significant role in establishing a customer’s opinion of a particular advertising or product category. SMI in travel and tourism is used in five articles, health care in four articles, and the fashion industry in three articles. However, SMI is influential in various industries like electronics, e-commerce, FMCG, PR, alcohol, opera, politics, etc. (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Type of industries researched in SMIs.

Table 6. Industry-wise articles classification on SMIs.

Industry	No. of papers
Advertising & Social Media	37
Tourism Industry	5
Healthcare Industry	4
Fashion Industry	3
Electronic Industry	2
e-commerce Industry	2
FMCG	2
PR	2
Alcohol Industry	1
Opera House	1
Plastic surgery	1
Politics	1

4.6. Article analysis based on the authors working location

The information about the countrywide research on SMI is depicted in Figure 4. The data analysis suggests that academicians from the USA dominated the field of research by contributing 25% of the total articles, followed by Australia and Germany contributing around 8%. India contributes about 7% and China 5%. The developed parts of the world are contributing the most-the USA and European countries. However, it’s worth noting that the contributions of authors from India and China are significant, ranking third and fourth in the total, respectively. This suggests that the research domain of SMI is extremely important for growing economies such as India and China. Because of the increased potential in these markets, most multinational corporations (MNCs) are launching their products in developing and undeveloped countries. It is evident from the review that future research will be dominated by developing countries like China and India. There could be a possibility of potential markets applying SMIs and getting the highest return.

Figure 4. Country-wise paper distribution.

4.7. Articles analysis using data analysis techniques

Data analysis is the process of obtaining valuable information from raw data using statistical or logical methods and producing a conclusion. Data analysis techniques help researchers in summing up data collected in large quantities, identifying the impact of variables on the outcome, and suggesting the effects of alternative future scenarios (Sachan & Datta, 2005). Various analyses found in the published articles followed regression, descriptive, theme, factor, coding, and SEM. Table 7 shows the data analysis approaches found in SMI articles. Regression analysis (14 papers) (22.95 percent) is found to be the favorite data analysis technique. This is followed by descriptive analysis (11 papers), thematic analysis (10 papers each) and structural equation modeling (8 papers). Coding analysis (5 studies), network analysis (4 papers), and MANOVA (2 papers) are also contributing to the data analysis used in SMI. Additional effective data analysis techniques coupled with artificial intelligence need to be explored to reveal contributing factors, drivers, and inhibitors of SMI through survey-based studies and exploratory studies involving test hypotheses. The article assessment also reveals that the data analysis is limited to traditional data analysis techniques. There is a need to explore advanced sophisticated data analysis techniques in the SMI domain.

Table 7. Contribution of data analysis technique.

Data analysis techniques	Number of papers	%
Regression analysis	14	22.95
Descriptive analysis	11	18.03
Thematic analysis	10	16.39
SEM	8	13.11
Coding analysis	5	8.20
Network analysis	4	6.56
MANOVA	2	3.28
Chi-square analysis	1	1.64
Content analysis	1	1.64
Delphi method	1	1.64
Factor analysis	1	1.64
Greedy algorithm	1	1.64
Path analysis	1	1.64
Right relevance software	1	1.64

5. Discussion

The research delved into 61 peer-reviewed papers regarding SMI that were published from 2011 to 2023. Every article has been evaluated for strengths and weaknesses through different lenses. The articles have also undergone a process of classification and grouping based on various categories such as Scopus and ABDC. These include: total publications over the considered period (61); top journals in the field; applied research technique and design; strategies used for data analysis; industry types focused on the research; and countries involved in SMI, among others. Exclusion and inclusion criteria have helped us narrow down the articles, while findings from these diverse categories help pinpoint areas where research is lacking—as well as new opportunities.

5.1. Significant findings

• An evaluation of the research scenario in social media influence (SMI) reveals that most studies use qualitative research methods. This includes approaches like case studies, interviews, and conceptual/theoretical models which make up about 47.54% of all research findings. This dominance is underscored by Singla and Richardson (2008), Crandall et al. (2008), and other researchers who advocate for qualitative methods in validating social media influence. For instance, Crandall et al. (2008) investigated the connection between likeness of social ties and influences; on other hand, Seeler et al. (2019) exemplified the significance of qualitative method to understand trip experiences shared on social media. Moreover, influencers have emerged as key figures who determine course and influence through these sites. While around 4.92% of research papers adopt quantitative methods, approximately 22.95% utilize a triangulation (mixed method) strategy, as suggested by Vollenbroek et al. (2014) and others, to advance various aspects of SMI. The predominance of qualitative approaches underscores the nuanced and context-rich nature of SMI research, necessitating comprehensive methodologies to capture its multifaceted dynamics.

• The International Journal of Strategic Communication is one of the top publications for SMI research because it is wide ranging and includes subsets of strategic communication such as corporate communication, public relations, advertising and marketing. Although not solely focused on SMI, this journal offers an inter-disciplinary ground for research into communication issues to mirror the multi-discipline nature of SMI study. The analysis reveals that regression analysis is the most common method utilized in data analysis; other methods are descriptive analysis, thematic analysis as well as structural equation modeling respectively. Advanced methods of data analysis and technology-based methodologies hold prospects for further studies by providing opportunities for more robust hypothesis testing, survey findings etc.

• The advertising & social media sector is the most researched area of study in terms of industrial focus, indicating how influential SMI is on consumer perceptions and product selection. Importance of investigations into professions such tourism and healthcare stress that SMI has a wide use across sectors. In research about SMI, United States comes first followed by Australia then Germany, India and China indicating worldwide concern and importance of SMI in different conditions. In future studies, advanced methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches need to be examined in order to enhance our comprehension of SMI’s meaning for various stakeholders in industries or regions.

• Prior research has emphasized the influence of social media influencers (SMIs) on adolescent health, particularly in nutrition, food, and overall well-being. Future investigations are encouraged to monitor the dynamic intersection between health-related subjects and SMIs in adolescent health research along with ethical responsibilities of influencers (Engel et al., 2024).

The United States of America (15 papers) was found to be in a leading position, followed by Australia and Germany (5 papers each), India (4 papers) and China (3 papers).

5.2. Gaps identified

• Interviews, and theory development-based research have all been accorded higher weight in previous studies. As a result, SMI research is still in its early stages, with the majority of studies lacking quantitative evidence.

• Researchers are still limited in their use of advanced data analysis techniques such as path analysis and MANOVA to validate the implemented model. It’s also discovered that discriminant analysis isn’t mentioned in any of the studies. Although regression analysis, descriptive analysis, and SEM are useful techniques for determining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The main disadvantage of using these strategies is that they cannot handle non-linearity among the variables. When using these procedures, an assumption must be made that the relationship between the variables is linear, which may alter the outcome, especially when the assumptions are made in a social science area.

• Fashion, electronics, e-commerce, FMCG, and a few other industries that have a large impact on social media influence are falling behind in terms of study applicability in terms of numbers.

5.3. Research directions and limitations

• The majority of past studies tend to quantitative research and report qualitative research methods such as questionnaires (web-based/email-based surveys) and interviews to collect data for SMI from respondents.

• Chae (2018) conducted an online survey of 1064 female smartphone respondents in South Korea. The results suggest that the exposure of an influencer’s qualitative (type of content) and quantitative (frequency of exposure) aspects is related to social comparison behavior. It also aimed to explain the reason behind females’ feeling envy toward social media influencers who show off their luxurious lives on social media.

• More research is needed in the fashion industry, electronics industry, e-commerce industry, and FMCG sector, especially in developing countries like India and China, as these are the target markets for all big brands. More research into the impact of social media influencers in the Indian setting is required.

• Deep learning, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) can all be applied to massive amounts of SMI data.

• The publications for evaluation were found using the ABDC and Scopus databases. Even though this is the largest database of management and scientific journals, it does not cover all peer-reviewed periodicals. As a result, few articles related to the SMI domain could have been left out of the analysis.

• Only English publications in the ABDC and SCOPUS databases were searched, which may have resulted in the omission of some relevant articles published in journals not included in this database, as well as works published in other languages.

6. Conclusion

SMI research has exploded in popularity during the last decade. By conducting an exhaustive literature evaluation of 61 articles published on SMI in the last thirteen years, this study aims to improve knowledge of the scientific field. The process of categorizing the papers for assessment along with multiple parameters and reviewing the content of the tables enables the listing and discussion of useful findings. Even though a substantial amount of research is being conducted to integrate social media research, there are still some possible opportunities (research gaps) that need to be bridged, for instance (i) quantitative studies in SMI and (ii) measuring the social media impact of influencers on consumer behavior and use of machine learning in SMI.

Additionally, SMI as a communication tool to influence the target audience affects purchase intentions, social media word of mouth, and emotional bond with followers, bloggers perceived trustworthiness and information quality positive effects (Magno & Cassia, 2018); digital citizenship education (Fornandez-Prados et al., 2021) are some important dimensions studied and need further research.

Findings of this have significant implications for those who work in the field and use digital platforms to influence consumer behavior. It emphasizes the importance of trust and credibility between the followers and influencers by looking at factors that influence SMI like purchase intentions as well as emotional bonds with followers. Through this, practitioners are able to draw strategic insights on what their content should entail and how they should engage their audience. This also calls for keenness in influencer partnerships – where due diligence is needed during selection and continuous effort in sustaining the relationship, thus indirectly pointing out areas where credibility can be used as a proxy measure of effectiveness since that would ensure optimal allocation ending wastage leading high impact campaign strategies.

Additionally, integrating sustainability principles into SMI efforts not only enhances brand reputation but also resonates with socially conscious consumers, fostering long-term loyalty and advocacy. Embracing research findings and identifying emerging opportunities propel practitioners towards continuous learning and adaptation, ensuring their relevance and efficacy in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of social media influence. Through proactive alignment with these insights, practitioners can effectively harness the power of SMI to drive meaningful engagement, foster brand loyalty, and achieve sustainable business outcomes.

The current thorough study (classified analysis) thus provides a good overview of how SMI research has evolved over the last thirteen years. Previous research could be used to increase knowledge and comprehension of sustainability concepts in social media influence. Other academics and practitioners might use the highlighted gaps and prospective research possibilities as a starting point to further examine these topics.

Author contribution

Dr. Vippa Dhingra has contributed in manuscript development and Research Methodology. Dr. Sarika Keswani has contributed in introduction and literature review part. Dr. Ramzan Sama has contributed in theoretical concept and writing and Dr. Mohamed Rafik Noor Mohamed Qureshi has contributed in findings, conclusion implications and limitations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Dr. Sarika Keswani will get funding from Symbiosis International University Pune. Symbiosis International Deeemed university Pune;

Notes on contributors

Vippa Dhingra

Dr. Vippa Dhingra is Ph.D in Management and UGC NET qualified and currently working as Assistant Professor – (Marketing) NMIMS – School of Commerce. She has rich experience of 14 years of teaching to UG and PG students in eminent management institutes. She has strong research background in marketing area and has published several research papers in reputed journals. She has also contributed in subject development of rural marketing for PG students for IGNOU in 2022. She has participated in several conferences and has reviewed research papers of UGC-CARE journals. Her teaching interest is in the area of Consumer Behaviour, Advertising, Digital Marketing, CRM, Sales and Distribution.

Sarika Keswani

Dr. Sarika Keswani is an Assistant Professor of ‘Finance and Accounting’ at Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Nagpur, Maharashtra. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance from Symbiosis International (Deemed) University Pune. Her research interests are in the areas of ‘Stock Market’, ‘Behavioral Finance’, and ‘Mutual Fund’. She has also presented papers at several international and national level professional conferences. She has published more than 15 research articles in reputed journals and conferences in the domain of Accounting, Finance, and Economics. She has contributed in idea conceptualization, contributed data or analysis tools, and performed the analysis.

Ramzan Sama

Dr. Ramzan Sama, PhD & UGC NET qualified, is an Associate Dean-Research & Associate Professor-Marketing at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur, India. He has worked with prestigious university as Marketing faculty such as, School of Business Management, SVKM’S Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Indore, India. Dr. Sama has over 15+ years of experience in teaching and research in eminent management institutes of India. He has authored multiple publications in international (ABDC, ABS & Scopus) and national journals, magazines, book chapters and case study collections. The publications including the A (ABDC list) such as Journal of Consumer Behaviour. His corporate experience spans across India’s well-known corporates such as HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma and Cadila Pharma.

Mohamed Rafik Noor Mohamed Qureshi

Prof. Mohamed Rafik Noor Mohamed Qureshi works as a Professor at the Industrial Engineering Department of the College of Engineering at King Khalid University. He has published over 200 research papers in international journals and has successfully guided 10 students for their Ph.D. degrees.