Understanding global social media influencer (SMI) marketing through credibility: a review, integrative framework and research agenda

Abstract

This research examines a globally relevant phenomenon of social media influencer (SMI) credibility through a systematic literature review (SLR) and develops a future research agenda. The SLR of 155 articles on SMI credibility is conducted following the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and further organized using TCCM and ACM frameworks. Moreover, an integrative framework is conceptualized for a holistic view of influencer marketing. The research reports findings per theories, characteristics (antecedents, consequences and moderators), contexts (countries, social media platforms and domains) and methods used in the literature. Moreover, the integrative framework depicts critical research themes: relationships, content, SMI characteristics and follower characteristics. A future research agenda is developed under each theme based on the gaps in the literature. The article is the first to comprehensively define SMI credibility based on perceived believability and parasocial relationships. An integrative framework for a holistic view of SMI marketing is conceptualized, and a clear research agenda is developed under identified research themes.