‘You really are a great big sister’ – parasocial relationships, credibility, and the moderating role of audience comments in influencer marketing

TLDR

The study investigates how audience comments moderate influencer marketing effectiveness. The authors analyzed a YouTube vlog featuring a brand endorsement and compared two experimental conditions differing in audience comment presence. Results show that a parasocial relationship increases influencer credibility, which in turn boosts brand trust and purchase intention, while audience comments moderate this effect, underscoring the importance of an active audience in influencer marketing.

Abstract

This study examines the moderating role of audience comments in influencer marketing. A YouTube vlog entry by a social media influencer featuring the endorsement of a brand was studied, and an experimental design featuring two conditions related to audience comments was created. The results indicate that a parasocial relationship with the influencer builds the perceived credibility of the influencer, while comments by other audience members moderate the effect. Influencer credibility positively affects brand trust and purchase intention. The findings enhance the understanding of the role of an active audience in influencer marketing.