Lindquist - Thesis Final Draft

Running head: IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON MARKETING

Media Richness Theory and Social Media Influencers: How the Selection and Role of Influencers Impacts Small Business Marketing Jaclyn Lindquist Carthage College

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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 business. Incorporating nonverbal communication, timely feedback, varying languages, and 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.

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Media Richness Theory and Social Media Influencers: How the Selection and Role of Influencers Impacts Small Business Marketing 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

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bloggers turned a hobby and small following into a career who had the power to define the attitude of their followers (Gillin, 2007). 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 wordof-mouth became known as conversation marketing (Gillin, 2007). While conversation 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 professional or someone who is employed by a specific company. According to Weiss (2014), skepticism of conventional marketing strategies is rising, and 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).

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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 (Hulyk, 2015). Additionally, product recommendations made by influencers “increase purchase intent by 5.2x” as stated by Barker (2018). Businesses who use influencers build customers’ trust, increase engagement with their publics, provide their audience with interesting content, and grow their search engine optimization (Barker, 2018). Influencer marketing creates an alternative to traditional advertisements purchasers have become blind to and lessened the need for irritating pop-up advertisements (Conick, 2018). Content produced by influencers is more interesting to consumers and can range from a minor inclusion in one post to significant placement on their profile (Conick, 2018). 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

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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 influencers are mega-influencers, macro-influencers, and micro-influencers. Also identifying the 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; midlevel influencers have twenty-five thousand followers to one hundred thousand followers; and micro-influencers have anywhere from fifty to twenty-five thousand followers according to 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

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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). A marketer, or a person who works in the marketing department of a company, should 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

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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 to pass on” (Weiss, 2014, p. 17). 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,

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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). Companies searching for an influencer should evaluate the type of followers an 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

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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, genuine macro-influencers or mega-influencers can be incredible assets to a brand (Barker, 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 different numbers of followers. 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 megainfluencers 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). Microinfluencers 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

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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 methodology for engaging these influencers in order to support brand-affecting communications 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

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(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” (Conick, 2018, p. 45). 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).

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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 101 billion dollars on influencer marketing campaigns. A study completed by Freberg, et al (2011) examined how audiences perceive social 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

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frustrated, self-defeating, and lacking meaning in life” were not associated with the social media influencers (p. 91). 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 consensus between participants (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). 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

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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 advertise especially when utilizing influencers as opposed to traditional modes of advertising. When considering the four factors of Dennis and Kinney (1998), social media provides the strongest medium available to advertisers because influencers can incorporate nonverbal 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 intimate in contrast to an advertisement placed by the business on a billboard or in the 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

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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 business. One social media influencer returned the completed questionnaire. 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.

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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 audience that you can instantly communicate with” (Anonymous, 2018). 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 local business promotion in Kenosha, Wisconsin. According to the qualifications decided by 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, etc. and do not get paid for it” (Anonymous, 2018). The influencer considers engagement to be a dynamic opportunity on social media to 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

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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 real” (Anonymous, 2018). As a micro-influencer, the influencer’s engagement rate is consistent 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. Considering the data received through these questionnaires, it is an oddity small 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.

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Future Research and Conclusion 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 experiences and thoughts on using social media as a marketing strategy. When conducting future research, it would be vital to include a disclaimer on all 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 should include social media influencers in their marketing techniques.

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In summation, social media influencers can have a huge impact on businesses. Utilizing an influencer’s services is a marketing technique that continues to increase as the popularity of 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 without spending large amounts of money on traditional advertising materials.

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References Anonymous. Interview done November 8, 2018. Anonymous. Interview with Business A done November 15, 2018. Anonymous. Interview with Business B done November 16, 2018. Barker, S. (2018). How to identify the best social media influencers for your brand. Retrieved from https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-identify-the-best-social-media-influencers-foryour-brand-cb222a92ceb0 Berger, J., & Heath, C. (2007). Where consumers diverge from others: Identity signaling and product domains. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(2), 121-134. Booth, N., & Matic, J. A. (2011). Mapping and leveraging influencers in social media to shape corporate brand perceptions. Corporate Communications, 16(3), 184-191. Brown, D., & Fiorella, S. (2013). Influence marketing: How to create, manage, and measure brand influencers in social media marketing. Indianapolis, IN: Que Publishing. Conick, H. (2018). How to win friends and influence millions: The rules of influencer marketing. Marketing News, 52(7), 36-45. Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554-571. De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798-828. Dennis, A. R., & Kinney, S. T. (1998). Testing media richness theory in the new media: The effects of cues, feedback, and task equivocality. Information Systems Research, 9(3), 256-274.

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