A higher follower count for influencers implies broader reach but also means a weaker relationship and lower likelihood of engagement, according to a study
Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and KU Leuven have published a study, Finding Goldilocks Influencers: How Follower Count Drives Social Media Engagement, in the Journal of Marketing.
The study is based on analysis of 802 Instagram marketing campaigns featuring more than 1,700 influencers, together with an eye-tracking study and laboratory experiments.
Researchers Simone Wies, Alexander Bleier and Alexander Edeling say influencers’ follower count is a key criterion advertisers use when devising influencer marketing campaigns.
“However, whether influencers with lower or higher follower count are more effective in generating engagement remains an open question,” they write.
Their research establishes an inverted U-shaped relationship between influencers’ follower count and engagement with sponsored content.
“A higher follower count implies broader reach but also cues a weaker relationship that reduces followers’ engagement likelihood.
“That is, engagement increases, then decreases, as influencer follower count rises.”
They say marketers can leverage the study results to improve their influencer marketing strategies.
Wies, professor of marketing strategy & performance at Goethe University Frankfurt: “On one hand, advertisers want to leverage an influencer’s reach, which is the number of followers exposed to an influencer’s content.
“On the other hand, users on social networks often seek interactive, communal relationships where they feel connected.”
However, iInfluencers often lack sufficient resources or interest to enter into meaningful, frequent interactions with their millions of followers.
Some advertisers have identified this issue, cautioning that some influencers might not be able to create significant engagement and suggesting more reliance on influencers who are not as popular.
- Brands should empower influencers with a large following to create original content in their own style instead of repeating the brand’s official communications.
- Well-known, mainstream brands should contract with influencers with neither too few nor too many followers.
- Influencers with large follower counts might consider expanding their partnerships with lesser-known brands to enjoy mutual benefits.
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