Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality

Posted by on Apr 9, 2012 in Influencers | No Comments

Karen Freberga,∗, Kristin Grahamb,1, Karen McGaugheyc,2, Laura A. Frebergc,3

 

Social media influencers (SMIs) represent a new type of independent third party endorser who shape audience attitudes through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media.

SMIs take pleasure in offering advice (Straley, 2010).

There are also instances in which an SMI can have a negative effect on a brand, perhaps by writing a negative review (Gorry & Westbrook, 2009). In these cases, it could be useful to understand how this particular SMI is perceived by audiences before crafting a response.