The Evolution of the Applications of Influencers for Fashion Brands on Social Media

The topic of social media influencers is widely discussed, especially in the fashion industry. Although many theoretical contributions in this area have been made in the past, new developments in influencer marketing are being studied based on new features in the recent world. This book chapter aims to clearly show the different academic understandings about ‘influencer’ and ‘social media influencer’ based on time order. In addition, by critically discussing social media influencers based on theoretical models (such as source models and market levels), academic contributions will be made to the understanding and use of those models based on the developing features of fashion social media influencers. The conceptual method (critical review) is employed in writing this book chapter. A conceptual method can contribute to a meaningful conclusion regarding the developments of social media influencer marketing; in addition, the critical literature review can link previous studies for getting a comprehensive understanding and figuring out the academic gaps. The literature of this chapter mainly includes four sections: definitions of social media influencer, theoretical models for measuring the effectiveness of social media influencers, the application of social media influencers for fashion brands, and opportunities/challenges for social media influencers.