From Social Media Influence to Economic Performance: The Capital Conversion Mechanism of Rural Internet Celebrities in China

With the widespread adoption of digital technology and self-media, the rural “internet celebrity economy” has become a leading force in the development of the rural digital economy. Rural internet celebrities quickly attract followers by showcasing local culture, talents, skills, or everyday life, and then monetize their influence through activities such as live-streaming sales, advertising partnerships, and paid knowledge content. This study draws on industry data from 1,064 rural internet celebrities across 28 provinces in China. From the perspective of celebrity capital, it constructs a price-promotion effect model to explore in depth how rural influencers transform social media influence into economic performance. These findings provide important insights for strengthening farmers’ digital human capital in the knowledge economy era and for promoting rural economic and social development.