The Effect of Macro Celebrity and Micro Influencer Endorsements on Consumer-Brand Engagement in Instagram

Abstract

Several brands are striving in their endeavors to find new ways to improve their consumer engagement through social media. They are using different tools including influencer marketing through social networking sites (SNSs). Therefore, this chapter addresses a gap in the academic literature as it distinguishes between two types of online influencers. The researchers investigate the effects of celebrity endorsers’ and of micro influencers’ posts on a brand’s page on Instagram. They examine the number of followers, clicks, comments and likes that are generated following their influencer marketing. The results suggest that both influencers have generated varying levels and types of interactions. In sum, this exploratory study revealed that the chosen celebrity’s posts attracted more followers to the brand’s Instagram page, when compared to the micro influencer’s publications. However, the latter has garnered more clicks, comments and likes, thereby increasing the consumer-brand engagement. In conclusion, this contribution identifies future research avenues on influencer marketing through social media.

Keywords: influencer marketing, consumer brand engagement, Instagram, social media, branding, brand management, macro influencers, micro influencers, brand endorsers

JEL Classification: M1, M3, M30, M31, M37