Abstract
The persuasive potential of influencer advertising (IAd) has become a relevant field in academia. Followers see influencers as a source of inspiration, and inspiration can play a crucial role in purchase decisions. In the present study, we examined how factors related to the message, source, and audience interactions in influencer communication relate to the persuasive effectiveness of IAd, with a particular focus on the role of inspiration. Results from a quantitative survey (n = 311) indicate that followers’ inspiration and para-social interaction with the influencer are highly relevant to reported purchase behaviors. Moreover, the inspiration followers experience from IAd varies with the frequency of advertising posts in influencers’ feeds and followers’ persuasion knowledge.
Disclosure statement
The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Data availability statement
The data supporting the analyses reported in this paper are provided by the corresponding author (JB) upon request.