IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v189y2025ics014829632400674x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What determines the effectiveness of social media influencer marketing? An fsQCA-based study of influencer characteristics and content features’ configurational effects

Author

Listed:
  • Ma, Caiyuan
  • Wang, Billy Wei
  • Dai, Lingqi
  • Guan, Xinya
  • Yang, Zhilin

Abstract

Social media platforms are increasingly important for promoting brands. Focusing on social media influencer marketing (SMIM), this study employs fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore the configurations of influencer characteristics and content features sufficient for high SMIM effectiveness. The study identifies different configurations of influencer characteristics and content features that drive high likes, high favorites, and high comments on social media. It also reveals that single conditions are not necessary for high SMIM effectiveness. The existence of influencer popularity is the core condition for achieving high likes, high favorites, and high comments in many configurations. Furthermore, the study shows that diverse configurations of influencer characteristics and content characteristics lead to highly appealing SMIM, highlighting the importance of different paths to achieve the same goal. This research contributes to the understanding of social media marketing and influencer marketing, providing valuable insights for developing effective social media marketing strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Caiyuan & Wang, Billy Wei & Dai, Lingqi & Guan, Xinya & Yang, Zhilin, 2025. "What determines the effectiveness of social media influencer marketing? An fsQCA-based study of influencer characteristics and content features’ configurational effects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:189:y:2025:i:c:s014829632400674x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115170
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632400674X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.115170?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kamini Gupta & Donal Crilly & Thomas Greckhamer, 2020. "Stakeholder engagement strategies, national institutions, and firm performance: A configurational perspective," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(10), pages 1869-1900, October.
    2. Maping Zhang & Zongjun Wang & Xue Wang, 2023. "Configuration of Conditions Leading to High National Innovation Competitiveness: A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Houssein Ballouk & Sami Ben Jabeur & Sabri Boubaker & Salma Mefteh-Wali, 2024. "The effect of social media on bank performance: an fsQCA approach," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 477-495, March.
    4. Christian H. Koch, 2020. "Brands as activists: The Oatly case," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(5), pages 593-606, September.
    5. Buzeta, Cristian & De Pelsmacker, Patrick & Dens, Nathalie, 2020. "Motivations to Use Different Social Media Types and Their Impact on Consumers' Online Brand-Related Activities (COBRAs)," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 79-98.
    6. Kvist, Jon, 2007. "Fuzzy set ideal type analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 474-481, May.
    7. Wang, Stephen W. & Kao, Grace Hsiu-Ying & Ngamsiriudom, Waros, 2017. "Consumers' attitude of endorser credibility, brand and intention with respect to celebrity endorsement of the airline sector," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 10-17.
    8. Labrecque, Lauren I., 2014. "Fostering Consumer–Brand Relationships in Social Media Environments: The Role of Parasocial Interaction," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 134-148.
    9. Michael Baumgartner & Alrik Thiem, 2020. "Often Trusted but Never (Properly) Tested: Evaluating Qualitative Comparative Analysis," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 49(2), pages 279-311, May.
    10. Lee, Jung Eun & Watkins, Brandi, 2016. "YouTube vloggers' influence on consumer luxury brand perceptions and intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5753-5760.
    11. Gainer, Brenda, 1995. "Ritual and relationships: Interpersonal influences on shared consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 253-260, March.
    12. Ragin, Charles C., 2000. "Fuzzy-Set Social Science," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226702773.
    13. Schneider, Martin R. & Eggert, Andreas, 2014. "Embracing complex causality with the QCA method: An invitation," jbm - Journal of Business Market Management, Free University Berlin, Marketing Department, vol. 7(1), pages 312-328.
    14. Labrecque, Lauren I. & Markos, Ereni & Milne, George R., 2011. "Online Personal Branding: Processes, Challenges, and Implications," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 37-50.
    15. Fine F. Leung & Flora F. Gu & Robert W. Palmatier, 2022. "Online influencer marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 226-251, March.
    16. Lim, Weng Marc & Rasul, Tareq, 2022. "Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 325-342.
    17. Lee, Michael T. & Theokary, Carol, 2021. "The superstar social media influencer: Exploiting linguistic style and emotional contagion over content?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 860-871.
    18. Kim, Do Yuon & Kim, Hye-Young, 2021. "Trust me, trust me not: A nuanced view of influencer marketing on social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 223-232.
    19. Hanoch, Yaniv, 2002. ""Neither an angel nor an ant": Emotion as an aid to bounded rationality," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 1-25, February.
    20. Tafesse, Wondwesen & Wood, Bronwyn P., 2021. "Followers' engagement with instagram influencers: The role of influencers’ content and engagement strategy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    21. Krogslund, Chris & Choi, Donghyun Danny & Poertner, Mathias, 2015. "Fuzzy Sets on Shaky Ground: Parameter Sensitivity and Confirmation Bias in fsQCA," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(1), pages 21-41, January.
    22. Cao, Dongmei & Meadows, Maureen & Wong, Donna & Xia, Senmao, 2021. "Understanding consumers’ social media engagement behaviour: An examination of the moderation effect of social media context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 835-846.
    23. Pittman, Matthew & Abell, Annika, 2021. "More Trust in Fewer Followers: Diverging Effects of Popularity Metrics and Green Orientation Social Media Influencers," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 70-82.
    24. Marx, Axel & van Hootegem, Geert, 2007. "Comparative configurational case analysis of ergonomic injuries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 522-530, May.
    25. Wenwen An & Charles-Clemens Rüling & Xin Zheng & Jianqi Zhang, 2020. "Configurations of effectuation, causation, and bricolage: implications for firm growth paths," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 843-864, March.
    26. Pappas, Ilias O. & Woodside, Arch G., 2021. "Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA): Guidelines for research practice in Information Systems and marketing," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    27. Sascha Kraus & Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano & Miriam Schüssler, 2018. "Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in entrepreneurship and innovation research – the rise of a method," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 15-33, March.
    28. António Porfírio, José & Augusto Felício, José & Carrilho, Tiago, 2024. "Factors affecting digital transformation in banking," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    29. Harrigan, Paul & Daly, Timothy M. & Coussement, Kristof & Lee, Julie A. & Soutar, Geoffrey N. & Evers, Uwana, 2021. "Identifying influencers on social media," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    30. Zhou, Shuang & Barnes, Liz & McCormick, Helen & Blazquez Cano, Marta, 2021. "Social media influencers’ narrative strategies to create eWOM: A theoretical contribution," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    31. Yunhui Zhao & Xinyue Wu & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Analysis of the Paths Affecting Corporate Green Innovation in Resource-Based Cities: A Fuzzy-Set QCA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    32. Luqiong Tong & Yuhuang Zheng & Ping Zhao, 2013. "Is money really the root of all evil? The impact of priming money on consumer choice," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 119-129, June.
    33. Shiyong Zheng & Mingyue Wu & Junyun Liao, 2023. "The impact of destination live streaming on viewers’ travel intention," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 184-198, January.
    34. Mena, Carlos & Karatzas, Antonios & Hansen, Carsten, 2022. "International trade resilience and the Covid-19 pandemic," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 77-91.
    35. repec:ucp:bkecon:9780226702766 is not listed on IDEAS
    36. Jeffrey K Lee & Enric Junqué de Fortuny, 2022. "Influencer-Generated Reference Groups [Nonprofits Are Seen as Warm and For-Profits as Competent: Firm Stereotypes Matter]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 49(1), pages 25-45.
    37. Masuda, Hisashi & Han, Spring H. & Lee, Jungwoo, 2022. "Impacts of influencer attributes on purchase intentions in social media influencer marketing: Mediating roles of characterizations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    38. Hu, Miao & Qiu, Pingping & Wan, Fang & Stillman, Tyler, 2018. "Love or hate, depends on who's saying it: How legitimacy of brand rejection alters brand preferences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 164-170.
    39. Kim, Junyong & Gupta, Pranjal, 2012. "Emotional expressions in online user reviews: How they influence consumers' product evaluations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(7), pages 985-992.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cheung, Man Lai & Leung, Wilson K.S. & Aw, Eugene Cheng-Xi & Koay, Kian Yeik, 2022. "“I follow what you post!†: The role of social media influencers’ content characteristics in consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs)," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    2. Ballester, Estefania & Ruiz, Carla & Rubio, Natalia & Veloutsou, Cleopatra, 2025. "We match! Building online brand engagement behaviours through emotional and rational processes," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    3. Sestino, Andrea & Nasta, Luigi & Bernando, Alessandro & Giannattasio, Alessandro, 2024. "Just the right push! Social Media as a Therapeutical catalyst: The impact of influencers’ motivational (vs. Neutral) communication on healthy consumption," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Wong, Amy & Wei, Joicey, 2023. "Persuasive cues and reciprocal behaviors in influencer-follower relationships: The mediating role of influencer defense," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    5. Fang, Xing & Shin, Seong Kyoung & Huang, Xingyu, 2025. "Enhancing social media engagement: Speech act strategies across influencer types," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    6. Spörl-Wang, Katja & Krause, Franziska & Henkel, Sven, 2025. "Predictors of social media influencer marketing effectiveness: A comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    7. Yatish Joshi & Weng Marc Lim & Khyati Jagani & Satish Kumar, 2025. "Social media influencer marketing: foundations, trends, and ways forward," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1199-1253, April.
    8. Alcántara-Pilar, Juan Miguel & Rodriguez-López, María Eugenia & Kalinić, Zoran & Liébana-Cabanillas, Francisco, 2024. "From likes to loyalty: Exploring the impact of influencer credibility on purchase intentions in TikTok," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    9. Benevento, Elisabetta & Aloini, Davide & Roma, Paolo & Bellino, Davide, 2025. "The impact of influencers on brand social network growth: Insights from new product launch events on Twitter," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    10. D'Oria, Laura & Scheaf, David J. & Michaelis, Timothy L. & Lerman, Michael P., 2025. "Para-social mentoring: The effects of entrepreneurship influencers on entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(1).
    11. R. Filieri & S. Shuqair & G. Viglia & A. Mattila & D. C. Pinto, 2023. "Leveraging online selling through social media influencers," Post-Print hal-04318902, HAL.
    12. Mukta Garg & Apurva Bakshi, 2024. "Exploring the impact of beauty vloggers’ credible attributes, parasocial interaction, and trust on consumer purchase intention in influencer marketing," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Cabeza-Ramírez, L. Javier & Sánchez-Cañizares, Sandra M. & Santos-Roldán, Luna M. & Fuentes-García, Fernando J., 2022. "Impact of the perceived risk in influencers' product recommendations on their followers' purchase attitudes and intention," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    14. Alboqami, Hassan, 2023. "Trust me, I'm an influencer! - Causal recipes for customer trust in artificial intelligence influencers in the retail industry," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    15. Rosengren, Sara & Campbell, Colin & Rapp Farrell, Justine, 2024. "Tricks of the trade: Understanding and utilizing influencer tactics to improve retailer performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. Sascha Kraus & Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano & Miriam Schüssler, 2018. "Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in entrepreneurship and innovation research – the rise of a method," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 15-33, March.
    17. Silva, Marianny Jessica de Brito & Campos, Patrícia de Oliveira & Gomes, Jairo de Pontes & Melo, Francisco Vicente Sales & de Moura, Maria Raíza Ferreira, 2025. "Proposing an integrative scale of digital influence in the context of influencer marketing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    18. van der Harst, Jesse Pieter & Angelopoulos, Spyros, 2024. "Less is more: Engagement with the content of social media influencers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    19. Liao, Junyun & Chen, Jiada, 2024. "The authenticity advantage: How influencer authenticity management strategies shape digital engagement with sponsored videos," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    20. Di Paola, Nadia & Chari, Simos & Iannacci, Federico & Kraus, Sascha, 2025. "Configurational theory in business and management research: Status quo and guidelines for the application of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:189:y:2025:i:c:s014829632400674x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.