Influencer-consumer relationships : a qualitative analysis of trust, credibility and loyalty among female consumers on social media.

Influencers have become increasingly popular on social media over the past decade. Whether these individuals are spreading awareness about social change, or simply promoting products, they have greatly impacted the world of advertising and marketing, but most importantly, the lives of consumers. Through a qualitative research approach using personal, in-depth interviews, this study aims to understand why young adult females follow influencers online. Participants’ feelings and attitudes associated with influencers were analyzed by addressing three key topics— trust, credibility and loyalty. Findings reveal two distinct groups of participants. That is, those who are selective and focus on connection with the influencer, and those who are not as selective and purely follow influencers based on inspiration, information or material gain. The three foundational theories that were consistently present in the findings include the parasocial interaction theory, the social-exchange theory and the source-attractiveness theory.