Influencer marketing effectiveness: A meta-analytic review

Pan, Meizhi; Blut, Markus; Ghiassaleh, Arezou; Lee, Zach W. Y.

Abstract

Influencer marketing significantly impacts consumer behavior and decision-making. However, identifying the drivers of influencer marketing effectiveness and conditions that enhance their impact remains challenging. This meta-analysis, which synthesizes 1,531 effect sizes from 251 papers, assesses influencer marketing effectiveness by examining its antecedents, mediators, and moderators. Building on the persuasion knowledge model to develop and test a framework, we identify post, follower, and influencer characteristics as key antecedents impacting both non-transactional (i.e., attitude, behavioral engagement, and purchase intention) and transactional (i.e., purchase behavior and sales) marketing outcomes. For non-transactional outcomes, follower characteristics (social identity) have the strongest effects on consumer attitudes and behavioral engagement, while post characteristics (informational value and hedonic value) exert stronger effects on purchase intention. For transactional outcomes, influencer characteristics (influencer communication) have the strongest effects on purchase behavior. These antecedents also affect marketing outcomes indirectly through persuasion knowledge and source credibility. Moderation results indicate that direct and indirect effects of antecedents depend on social media types (i.e., nature of connection and usage) and product types (i.e., information availability and status-signaling capability). These results consolidate and advance the literature and offer insights into enhancing the effectiveness of influencer marketing.

Citation

Pan, M., Blut, M., Ghiassaleh, A., & Lee, Z. W. Y. (2025). Influencer marketing effectiveness: A meta-analytic review. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 53(1), 52-78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01052-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 4, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 12, 2024
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Oct 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 14, 2024
• Journal: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
• Print ISSN: 0092-0703
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-7824
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 53
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 52-78
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01052-7
• Keywords: Source credibility, Influencer marketing, Sales, Persuasion knowledge model, Purchase behavior
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2949260