The Mobilizing Power of Influencers for Pro-Environmental Behavior Intentions and Political Participation

So-called “influencers” increasingly use their popularity on social media to raise their voice to promote political topics such as climate change, human rights, or party politics. As digital opinion leaders they may exert a powerful influence on their followers’ attitudes and behavior, motivating them to protect the environment or to engage in political participation online. Based on the Gateway Hypothesis, we argue that these online activities may translate into offline participation over time. To test these assumptions, we conducted a two-wave panel study during the national parliamentary elections in Austria with a national quota sample (NT2 = 564). Findings reveal that following political influencers who post about elections or party politics increases online participation, which predicts higher offline participation over time. Moreover, following environmental influencers who promote content revolving around sustainability and climate change strengthens pro-environmental behavior intentions over time, which is also related to increased offline participation.