Influencer characteristics in social media influencer marketing: a systematic literature review

Abstract

In light of rising interest in research on influencer marketing, this paper aims to analyse the impact of influencer characteristics on consumer behaviour. The study was based on a systematic analysis of 127 peer-reviewed articles published or accepted from 2000 to 2021. The paper included 52 influencer characteristics classified into four categories: psychological, social, behavioural and demographic characteristics. The findings show that influencers’ psychological characteristics, such as trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, have been over-studied. However, research gaps exist in the area of influencers’ social characteristics, such as envy and betrayal, as well as behavioural characteristics, such as facial expression, body language, speaking speed and sharing secrets. In addition, there is also a lack of research on the importance of demographic characteristics such as gender, age and ethnicity.