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Findings from two experiments show that Instagram influencers with high numbers of followers are considered more likeable, mostly because they are considered more popular. Important, only in limited cases, perceptions of popularity due to the influencer’s number of followers, lead to perceptions of opinion leadership. Furthermore, one should also take into account number of followees, as very low numbers of followees might negatively impact popular influencers’ likeability. Also, cooperating with influencers with high numbers of followers might not be the best marketing choice for promoting divergent products, as this lowers the brand’s perceived uniqueness and consequently brand attitudes.
Veirman et al. (Fri,) studied this question.