The Value of Influencer Marketing for Business: A Bibliometric Analysis and Managerial Implications

Influencer marketing appears to be an effective and cost-efficient marketing tool, as it is often not perceived by consumers as advertising and guarantees a wide reach to very engaged audiences. Many businesses harness social media influencers to promote their brands to target audiences. However, influencer marketing has mainly been adopted through a process of trial and error without in-depth insight into how social media influencers should be used strategically as a distinct tool in the marketing mix. In recent years, academic research on influencer marketing has been growing rapidly and offers a deeper insight into how influencer marketing affects customers. The current article deploys bibliometric and thematic content analyses to provide an overview of the current influencer marketing research and identifies the leading journals, authors, publications, and main research themes in this domain. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and businesses when employing influencer marketing.