Be my friend! Cultivating parasocial relationships with social media influencers: findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA
Information Technology & People
ISSN: 0959-3845
Article publication date: 31 January 2022
Issue publication date: 13 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The emergence of social media has brought the influencer marketing landscape to an unprecedented level, where many ordinary people are turning into social media influencers. The study aims to construct and validate a model to yield strategic insights on the relevance of content curation, influencer–fans interaction and parasocial relationships development in fostering favorable endorsement outcomes (i.e. purchase intention).
Design/methodology/approach
The present study analyzes data from a survey of 411 consumers using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to understand the net and combined effects of content attributes, interaction strategies and parasocial relationships on purchase intention.
Findings
PLS-SEM results reveal that content attributes (i.e. prestige and expertise) and interaction strategies (i.e. interactivity and self-disclosure) positively influence parasocial relationships, and in turn, lead to high purchase intention. Findings from fsQCA indicate six solutions with different combinations of content attributes, interaction strategies and parasocial relationships that sufficiently explain high purchase intention.
Originality/value
The present study demonstrates the roles of content attributes and interaction strategies in engendering parasocial relationship and the endorsement outcome (i.e. purchase intention) from both linear and non-linear (complexity) perspectives.
Keywords
Citation
Aw, E.C.-X., Tan, G.W.-H., Chuah, S.H.-W., Ooi, K.-B. and Hajli, N. (2023), "Be my friend! Cultivating parasocial relationships with social media influencers: findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA", Information Technology & People, Vol. 36 No. 1, pp. 66-94. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-07-2021-0548
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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