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Media Richness Theory and Social Media Influencers: How the Selection and Role of
Jaclyn Lindquist
Carthage College
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 2
Abstract
Social media has become a leading channel for businesses to maximize their reach to
their desired publics. One tool that is growing in popularity is the use of social media influencers.
Past research shows expressing your message to the right influencers can promote brands
through testimonials which will build brand credibility (Weiss, 2014). In fact, younger
generations will trust advice from a stranger of their peer network over a marketing professional
(Gillin, 2007). A key theory used in this study is media richness theory (Dennis & Kinney, 1998)
which discusses the importance of medium selection to fit the desired task or mission of a
creating a personal focus are all components to consider while rating the strength of a medium
(Dennis & Kinney, 1998). This study will include detailed research on the history of social
media influencers as well as a content analysis of select influencers in large and small business
marketing. Quantitative methods are used to uncover the quantity of businesses utilizing social
media influencers and their effects on sales and driving the intended publics to the products
being sold.
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 3
Media Richness Theory and Social Media Influencers: How the Selection and Role of
With the rise of technology in the last ten years, information can spread in a matter of
seconds through new forms of media. While television, radio, magazines, and newspapers were
formerly vital media outlets to learn information, technology has changed the way people access
news. Computers can now fit in a pocket or purse in the form of a cell phone. With this ability to
access the internet during all hours of the day, social media networking sites have also grown in
popularity. Social media has become a platform to share personal anecdotes or international
news stories. This new wave of information has required businesses to create new ways to sell
their products to consumers using this prevalent technology. Social media is an inexpensive,
versatile way for businesses to advertise their products to reach more people with a variety of
different methods.
Literature Review
It has occurred since the beginning of time. From the moment Eve persuaded Adam to eat
the forbidden fruit, the influence of word-of-mouth marketing has persisted through centuries of
oral stories, chronicles, fables, and songs (Weiss, 2014). Even more so today, word-of-mouth
marketing has increased in popularity and allows every individual to become an influencer
(Weiss, 2014). According to Gillin (2007), some of the first social media influencers were
bloggers who expressed their experiences and beliefs with small groups of people reading their
posts. These small groups continued to grow, and when social networking sites emerged, these
bloggers had a large assembly of like-minded people who trusted bloggers and desired to follow
them more personally (Gillin, 2007). Social media and the Internet strengthened word-of-mouth
marketing which gave bloggers the opportunity to widen their reach (Weiss, 2014). These
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 4
bloggers turned a hobby and small following into a career who had the power to define the
Businesses began to notice the sway these bloggers had on social media and created
profiles to engage with their publics and become influencers (Gillin, 2007). This form of word-
marketing and a direct dialogue between a business and their publics was useful, it did not
compare to the candidness among an influencer and their following (Gillin, 2007). Gillin (2007)
argues younger generations will trust an influencer with similar interests over a marketing
shoppers are turning to people they know personally, consumer reviews, and even strangers on
the Internet for recommendations on products and services. Barker (2018) agrees stating, “it’s no
secret that consumers don’t trust advertising anymore.” Because of this, companies are beginning
to observe new engagement from a trusted community they have hardly heard from before, the
consumers themselves (Booth & Matic, 2011). Word-of-mouth marketing from these consumers
is “the most trusted source” of news and has the largest likelihood to be acted on (Weiss, 2014).
These testimonials and reviews influence 81% of consumers and inform customers about the
product before purchasing (Barker, 2018). Barker (2018) argues there is only one strategy to win
consumer’s trust called social proof. Consumers want to be informed from everyday people
similar to themselves using the products they are interested in (Barker, 2018). Social proof is
valued even more when the people they are listening to are experts in the particular department
(Barker, 2018).
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 5
While some businesses may question the need for influencers for their brand, the new
generation of consumers makes influencer marketing a necessity (Hulyk, 2015). The new
generation of consumers, known as iGen, look for content including short messages
accompanied by some form of dynamic, quality multimedia with the capability to share with
their friends and followers (Hulyk, 2015). According to Hulyk (2015), a study completed in 2014
indicated 1,500 teenagers ranked YouTube personalities and influencers as the most
approachable, authentic, and influential. The new wave of iGen consumers are more inclined to
view marketing material from figures who are genuine and relatable in their social media content
Businesses who use influencers build customers’ trust, increase engagement with their
publics, provide their audience with interesting content, and grow their search engine
advertisements purchasers have become blind to and lessened the need for irritating pop-up
consumers and can range from a minor inclusion in one post to significant placement on their
Before considering the role and selection of social media influencers, it is crucial to
understand how to recognize influencer profiles. For most businesses, an ideal influencer would
have “a large number of followers on social media, a sizable number of posts, authentic stories in
their content, high-quality and aesthetic images or videos in their content, and a solid
engagement rate on their posts” (Barker, 2018). For a more concise description, De Veirman,
Cauberghe, and Hudders (2017) define influencers as “people who built a large network of
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 6
followers, and are regarded as trusted tastemakers in one or several niches” (p. 1). Freberg,
Graham, McGaughey, and Freberg (2011), contributed a similar definition in their article
labeling influencers as those who “represent a new type of independent third-party endorser who
shape audience attitudes through blogs, tweets, and the use of other social media” (p. 90).
There are three categories of influencers based on the number of people who follow their
content. Though Barker (2018) and Conick (2018) agree on three categories of influencers, the
researchers have separate concepts on the term designation of these categories and how many
followers signifies each classification. Starting with Barker (2018), the three categories of
amount of reach each category has, Barker (2018) states mega-influencers have the largest reach
with more than one million followers. Macro-influencers have less than one million followers
but more than one hundred thousand followers with a moderate amount of reach (Barker, 2018).
Finally, a micro-influencer has the smallest amount of reach with one thousand followers to one
hundred thousand followers (Barker, 2018). Opposing Barker’s (2018) classifications, Conick
(2018) argues the three categories of influencers are macro-influencers, mid-level influencers,
and micro-influencers. Macro-influencers have more than one hundred thousand followers; mid-
level influencers have twenty-five thousand followers to one hundred thousand followers; and
Conick (2018).
The role of social media influencers will fluctuate based on the company and marketers
they are working with. While it is the responsibility of the company to select influencers for their
brand who would sway their audience, influencers are required to integrate the company’s
products into their social media posts (De Veirman, Cauberghe, & Hudders, 2017). A
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 7
considerable advantage to using influencer marketing is gaining the reach to an already involved
audience (Barker, 2018). The most important opportunity marketers consider in influencer
marketing is the “chance to engage with a new generation of consumers, people who have
always had the option to skip, ignore or completely avoid ads” (Conick, 2018, p. 39). Influencers
produce and share marketing content to their personal accounts making its way to potentially
millions of newsfeeds and timelines without being blocked by ad blocking software (Conick,
2018).
consider how they will manage the influencers their company is utilizing. Brown and Fiorella
(2013) proposed the four M’s of influencer marketing: make, manage, monitor, and measure.
Marketers must make responsible influencers by assuring they have the right niche and style for
the campaign (Brown & Fiorella, 2013). Managing influencers involves maintaining a
relationship with them and revisiting messaging material the influencer is posting (Brown &
Fiorella, 2013). Auditing the campaign and looking into which posts in the campaign offer the
greatest return to the company is considered monitoring (Brown & Fiorella, 2013). Finally,
Brown and Fiorella (2013) suggest measuring influencer marketing be completed at the end of
the campaign to reflect on what messaging succeeded and which parts of the campaign would be
modified.
Companies should demonstrate caution when managing influencers. Booth and Matic
(2011) reason taking on too much action in developing content for the influencer can feel as if
the marketers are taking control and not offering the influencer flexibility. It is better, Conick
(2018) debates, to give control of authentic content creation to the influencer to appeal to their
audience. Finding an influencer who wants to collaborate and include genuine stories with the
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 8
product in their content are ideal for companies and their marketers (Conick, 2018). Though
companies should give control to their influencers to create content, it is beneficial to educate
influencers “about the latest tools and techniques that increase the reach of their transmissions,
tailor conversations to specific media and ensure conversations are seen, heard, viewed and easy
The most important element for companies and influencers to consider when creating a
social media campaign is the desired relationship between the company and the viewers or
potential customers; “social media is all about building relationships and enabling conversations
within the marketplace” (Booth & Matic, 2011, p. 185). Trust is also critical in a social media
campaign (Conick, 2018). Consumers trust the influencer to create authentic, truthful content
(Conick, 2018). When an influencer is posting with a product they are being paid to promote, it
is vital to release this information to the viewers to allow them to choose the reliability of the
review (Conick, 2018). Conick (2018) suggests influencers use the products they are promoting
before publicly endorsing the product. The credibility of the influencer is jeopardized each time
they recommend a product of service (Conick, 2018). If this trust is broken, the social media
campaign will fail, and the reputation of the company and the influencer could be ruined
(Conick, 2018).
The problem most companies face when developing an influencer marketing campaign is
the inability to identify a reliable, relevant influencer for their brand. According to Barker
(2018), 45% of companies admit identifying the right influencers is their largest challenge. There
are many aspects to consider when choosing social media influencers. Looking into an influencer
to decipher if they have similar values and aesthetic as your brand is important when considering
a partnership (Conick, 2018). When a company chooses an influencer with an opposite aesthetic,
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 9
followers can become confused and will not pay attention to the advertisement in the post
(Conick, 2018).
When considering the selection of social media influencers, making sure they have the
right niche or expertise is vital to reaching the right audience (Barker, 2018). Viewing existing
posts on an influencers social media account will reveal an influencer’s niche and ensure their
aesthetic and quality of work will fit a company’s brand (Barker, 2018). Having the same niche
as the influencer will ensure a business’ message will be viewed by pertinent audiences (Barker,
2018). Another factor to consider when assessing an influencer’s profile is listing any other
products of brands the influencer promotes (Barker, 2018). An influencer who represents many
brands or over-promotes is “not a good choice because over-promotion dilutes the authenticity”
(Barker, 2018).
influencer has and not the number alone (Barker, 2018). Even though a large number of
followers is tempting for the wide reach the influencer would give a business, these influencers
are not for every campaign and do not promise a good fit (Conick, 2018). Sometimes companies
sell followers to people to make it appear as if they have a large following, but in reality, many
of the followers are fake (Barker, 2018). This is why it is important to not confuse an influencer
with a large follower account (Barker 2018). In addition to fake accounts, depending on your
company’s products, an influencer with a large following will decrease the brands uniqueness
(De Veirman, et al., 2017). De Veirman, et al (2017) argue this could have one of two opposite
effects on a consumer: the theory of exclusivity and the theory of popularity. The theory of
exclusivity (Berger & Heath, 2007) is the desire to have exclusive, unique products because no
one else would have them, and the theory of popularity (Henshel & Johnston, 1987) is the belief
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 10
only popular products are desirable because of the need to be like everyone else (De Veirman, et
al., 2017).
Although an influencer with a large number of followers can appear to be a red flag,
2018). De Veirman, et al (2017), also found in their study “influencers with high numbers of
followers are considered more likeable, mostly because they are considered more popular” (p. 1).
This popularity can translate into “perceptions of opinion leadership” (De Veirman, et al., 2017,
p. 1). The more followers an influencer has, the larger their audience size and their access to
distribute messages to a wide range of people (De Veirman, et al., 2017). Influencers with a large
number of followers are believed to be more attractive, thought to be trustworthy, and accessible
or approachable (De Veirman, et al., 2017). This research by De Veirman, et al (2017) proves
why marketers should search for multiple partnerships with different influencers who have
Even more significant than niche or number of followers is the engagement of followers
on an influencer’s post (Barker, 2018). Conick (2018) argues the main purpose of a social media
influencer is engaging with current or future customers exhibiting “honest and authentic
communication” (p. 39). The engagement on a post indicates how many people are concerned or
involved in the influencer’s content (Barker, 2018). According to Barker (2018), while mega-
influencers have the most followers, they have the lowest engagement rate. Influencers on
Instagram who have ten million followers or more have 1.6% like rate (Conick, 2018). Micro-
influencers score the highest on engagement rate even though they have the least number of
followers (Barker, 2018). The like rate for influencers on Instagram with less than one thousand
followers is 8% (Conick, 2018). Calculating engagement rate is simply looking into the last
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 11
twenty to thirsty posts and calculating “the percentage of followers who like, comment, or share
the posts of an influencer” (Barker, 2018). Inevitably, macro-influencers will draw more eyes to
a post, but it is vital to assess if the viewers are the right ones (Conick, 2018).
Identifying real, relevant influencers can be a daunting assignment (Booth & Matic,
2011). A customizable valuation algorithm, or influencer index, has been created to simplify the
analysis process and assist marketers in generating a list of influencers. According to Booth &
Matic (2011), the influencer index “evaluates a cross-selection of variables, and illustrates a
objectives” (p. 186). In order to rank influencers, the influencer index considers quantitative and
qualitative measurements and identifies talking points to guide the influencer’s engagement
(Booth & Matic, 2011). Variables taken into consideration in the influencer index include
viewers per month, post frequency, the volume of media to cite the influencer, level of web
participation, viewer responses, quality of comments, and topic-related posts (Booth & Matic,
2011). Variables are weighted and each category is assigned a score between one and five with
one connoting poor and five valuing excellent (Booth & Matic, 2011). While these variables are
suggested, the influencer index is customizable meaning marketers are able to include other
variables or delete variables to uncover their influencer needs (Booth & Matic, 2011). The
influencer index is just one technique to use when selecting social media influencers (Conick,
2018). Searching for influencers in-house is the most time-consuming method, but 21% of
businesses claim their marketing and social media departments manage influencers (Conick,
2018).
There are two other strategies marketers utilize when choosing social media influencers
who are relevant to the company’s product or service and will positively represent the brand
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 12
(Conick, 2018). A marketer can work with an agency to find relevant influencers or they can use
a platform (Conick, 2018). Working with an agency is an efficient technique and does not
require an immense amount of time from the marketing team (Conick, 2018). The external
agency will “serve as the matchmaker between brands and influencers” (Conick, 2018, p. 45).
Influencers work with agencies and provide a client list marketers can choose from to meet the
needs of the business and align with the brand (Conick, 2018). Some influencer agencies will
even manage the communication and content creation for the company (Hulyk, 2015). According
to Conick (2018), 87% of businesses with marketing teams use agencies to locate relevant
influencers. Finally, a business can use platforms on the Internet designed for brands to search a
“database and reach out to influencers to examine them, discuss content and negotiate fees”
For businesses still unsure about the benefits or potential pay-offs from using social
media influencers, the following studies examine the future impact influencer marketing can
have on marketing strategies. Hulyk (2015) refers to a study completed in 2015 which concluded
“81 percent of Gen Z uses social media” and “70 percent watch more than two hours of
YouTube each day alone”. Additionally, the percentage of iGen that spends at least three hours
of time unrelated to schoolwork on their computers per day is up to 41% (Hulyk, 2015). When
consumers click on the accompanying product links under multimedia content on an influencer’s
post, the search engine optimization for the company’s name increases which increases the
traffic of customers visiting the website (Barker, 2018). Furthermore, Conick (2018) refers to
results of a study which determined “55% of marketers say influencer marketing brings better
customers” and “84% of marketers say influencer marketing is effective” (p. 44).
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 13
With all this time spent on the computer, generations of people are viewing social media
influencer content for hours each day. Businesses are beginning to notice the increase of screen
time and have reacted accordingly in the past few years. In 2017, it was discovered paid posts
created by influencers grew 198% from 2016 (Conick, 2018). Conick (2018) also states, “by the
end of 2018, it’s predicted that there will be 24.2 million influencer posts – up from 3.6 million
posts in 2015” (p. 44). Because of these trends, two-thirds of marketers want to increase their
budget used for influencer marketing next year (Conick, 2018). In fact, more companies will
develop a longstanding influencer marketing plan which will increase to 62% of companies who
currently pay influencers as long-term partners instead of only using an influencer for one
campaign (Conick, 2018). According to Conick (2018), in 2020 marketers are predicted to spend
media influencers. Four social media influencers were chosen as samples (Freberg, et al., 2011).
Each of the thirty-two college undergraduates participating in the study were given a photograph,
a general fact sheet about the influencer, and viewed a YouTube video created by the social
media influencer (Freberg, et al., 2011). After considering the samples, participants completed
the California Q-sort which provides one hundred attributes for participants to apply to the social
media influencer between one and four (Freberg, et al., 2011). Ranking an attribute with a one
means the characteristic does not apply to the influencer, and ranking an attribute as a five means
the characteristic does apply to the influencer (Freberg, et al., 2011). After compiling the data,
Freberg, et al (2011) concluded participants identified social media influencers “as verbal, smart,
ambitious, productive, and poised” while attributes such as “self-pitying, indecisive, easily
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 14
frustrated, self-defeating, and lacking meaning in life” were not associated with the social media
Theory
The key theory to consider while researching this topic is the media richness theory (Daft
& Lengel, 1986). Media richness theory discusses the importance of medium selection to fit the
desired task or mission of a business. Different media are chosen by businesses to reach a
specific audience or accomplish a desired result. Several factors decipher the richness of a
particular medium apart from the popularity and potential reach the medium has on the public.
Daft and Lengel who proposed the theory in 1986 considered four factors when rating the
strength of a medium (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). These factors include the media’s capability to
incorporate nonverbal communication cues, the amount of timely feedback, the ability of the
medium to vary languages, and medium’s ability to create a personal focus on the viewing
individual (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). Daft and Lengel argued using richer forms of media would
denote better performance on tasks where two participants need to arrive at the same meaning.
(Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). Richer media would increase effectiveness, efficiency, and establish a
Researchers Dennis and Kinney (1998) conducted an experiment to test the media
richness theory belief of performance improving between two people with richer media. The
experiment tested decision making and the effects of media richness theory on two forms of
media, computer-mediated and video communication (Dennis & Kinney, 1998). Dennis and
Kinney (1998) paired college students together and required the students to complete a task. The
pair first completed a task using video communication. After this task the pair completed another
assignment using computer-mediated communication. After the group was finished, they
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 15
answered a questionnaire about their experience. Dennis and Kinney’s experiment concluded the
increased variety of cues and immediacy of reaction or feedback lead to better performance in
the video communication. This research is helpful because it designates four criteria for media
richness theory and explains how these factors work together to improve performance.
The media richness theory presents a strong importance when studying the role of social
media influencers. Social media’s growing popularity makes it an ideal medium for businesses to
When considering the four factors of Dennis and Kinney (1998), social media provides the
communication through videos and photographs, social media provides businesses with instant
feedback through likes and comments on the post or video, posts and videos can be translated to
multiple languages, and social media creates a personal focus on consumers because consumers
can view these advertisements in the comfort of their own home. Additionally, consumers can
develop a type of bond with social media influencers making the advertisement feel more
newspaper.
Method
Qualitative methods will be used to conduct IRB approved questionnaires with three
small businesses who use social media influencers as part of their marketing tactics and three
social media influencers who promote products from small businesses. The interview questions
for the small business owners will include inquiries about their general business information,
how they use social media marketing, selecting social media influencers, guidelines given to
influencers, compensations given to the influencers, and if the business observed any sales
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 16
increases. The interview questions for the social media influencer will include inquiries
regarding which businesses they promote, their number of followers, the selection process, their
take on the direction of influencer marketing, and their engagement with followers.
Findings
The results of this research were unexpected. Out of the six questionnaires distributed to
small business owners who use social media influencers and social media influencers who
promote small business, three questionnaires were returned. Two small business owners returned
the questionnaire and one small business owner responded by admitting they do not use social
media influencers as a marketing technique. While one social media influencer posts about the
business, the owner declares the influencer is not paid by the business nor asked to post about the
The two small businesses who returned the questionnaire used very different social media
marketing goals and techniques. The first small business (Business A) uses social media,
specifically Instagram and Facebook, to reach a very specific audience. This audience is almost
entirely female with an income to support a budget for non-essential items or services. Business
A does not have a professional marketing employee and does not work with an outside
marketing agency. The social media pages are managed by the owner of Business A. Any posts
created by influencers are not controlled by Business A. The other small business to return the
questionnaire (Business B) works with a contracted marketing agency to manage social media
accounts as well as occasional posts from internal employees. Business B’s influencers are paid
per promoted post and “not as expensive as traditional marketing channels,” according to the
owner of Business B (Anonymous, 2018). Congruent with Business A, Business B does not
control the content posted by influencers unless the posts are made from an employee.
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 17
While the two small businesses differ, they both agree social media is the only medium if
you desire to reach a targeted audience. This agrees with Barker’s (2018) advice to use an
influencer with the same niche as your audience. Owner of Business A says, “social media is the
only form of direct promotion which can be directed to one specific individual (totally
customized), and at the same time it may be seen by uncounted number of potential clients”
(Anonymous, 2018). Owner of Business B agrees “social media reaches a larger identifiable
Analyzing the returned questionnaire from the social media influencer provided
considerable insight. The influencer does not have a particular niche. Instead, they focus on all
Barker (2018) and Conick (2018), the influencer is a micro-influencer with over one thousand
followers on Facebook and over two thousand followers on Instagram. The majority of the
content made by the influencer is posted without being asked or contacted by a business. They
admit “if I wait for people to reach out to me I wouldn’t have as much content to share”
(Anonymous, 2018). The influencer is consistent by posting on their profile every day. This is
one of the attributes of an ideal influencer according to Barker (2018). The influencer’s services
benefit the community and the businesses they promote. The influencer says “I basically offer
free advertising for the community. I promote local businesses, events, nonprofits, people, music,
validate their audience. The influencer always responds to comments on their posts engaging
with the audience every day and even posts polls and questions to engage with their audience.
Conick (2018) contends engagement is the main role of a social media influencer. The influencer
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 18
agrees commenting, “people want reassurance that you know that they follow you and support
you. People want you to know they exist. People want to know that you exist and that you’re
with Barker’s (2018) model which states micro-influencers have the highest engagement with
their followers even though they have the lowest amount of followers.
businesses do not use social media influencers more often. Based on the research, businesses rely
on word-of-mouth marketing for new customers. Even though both businesses interviewed use
influencers, they are a technique not heavily emphasized by either business. Instead, influencers
were viewed more as a person who recommends products to close family and friends and not to a
large social media following. Small businesses have the potential to expand their brand and the
simple awareness of their business by using local influencers. These influencers could be any
individual in a business’ area who has a following of the target audience. A coffee shop may
enlist the posts of a local college student, a clothing boutique can ask to be featured on a young
professional’s profile, the opportunities are endless especially if individuals are willing to do this
marketing for free. In many cases, an individual would be flattered to post about a business and
be seen as an influencer or an important person in their peer group. These small shops could be
utilizing a resource to acquire more business for little to no cost. Businesses may reach out to a
small number of their local customers and ask to be featured on their social media pages. Loyal
customers and individuals who support small businesses would likely create posts about a
business for free. If the individual requires some compensation, instead of paying customers to
post a business can offer them discounts on the products or services they provide.
IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON SMALL BUSINESS 19
Due to the results of this study, a considerable amount of research can be conducted to
explore the possibilities and opportunities of social media influencer marketing. First, a study
can be conducted researching small businesses in other areas of the United States. The study
conducted in this paper focused only on small businesses in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A larger area
of study may have different results. Another study should be completed to discover the effect of
influencer marketing on large businesses. Large companies use influencers with more potential
reach and therefore are paid for their services. It would be beneficial to discover how much
money a company spends on influencer marketing compared to the budget for traditional
marketing strategies. Additionally, interviewing social media influencers who create sponsored
content to post on social media as their full-time job could provide a more in-depth analysis on
the influencer’s role in a business partnership. It would also be valuable to learn their
interview materials about what a social media influencer does and how they are different from
regular social media users or a professional social media marketer. When focusing on small
businesses, it may be valuable to conduct a survey for residents in a localized area to see if social
media has an impact on where they shop, eat, and find entertainment. Including a question in the
survey on whether the individual would post on their social media to promote a small business
would provide insight on how many potential influencers a business could be using. This
research would provide small business owners with information necessary to determine if they
In summation, social media influencers can have a huge impact on businesses. Utilizing
social media marketing grows. With several ways to select and acquire influencers and the
ability to control a singular message, businesses have the opportunity to reach their target
audience while avoiding traditional advertisements which are not trusted by consumers. The
study conducted agrees with existing research about the importance of social media for
marketing purposes as well as the role of social media influencers to be a source of engagement
with their followers. However, it was unpredicted how influencers are willing to make posts
about small businesses for no compensation. Businesses have the opportunity to reach thousands
of individuals in their target audience by contacting loyal customers to post about their brand
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