Macro-influencers or meso-influencers, how do companies choose?

TLDR

Influencer marketing via social media is widespread in social commerce, with micro‑, meso‑, and macro‑influencers each playing an irreplaceable role. The study investigates how budget‑constrained companies select micro, meso, or macro influencers based on product brand familiarity, examining their combined effects through simulation. An evolutionary game model on complex networks was built to simulate influencer information diffusion and individual response dynamics based on utility and peer strategies. Simulations show that companies should invest more in macro‑influencers than meso‑influencers, but not exclusively; meso‑influencer investment rises as brand familiarity drops yet remains below macro levels, while a growing pool of micro‑influencers accelerates marketing.

Abstract

Purpose Influencer marketing mediated by social media is prevalent in social commerce. Micro-, meso- and macro-influencers all play an irreplaceable role in marketing. The purpose of this paper is to explore how companies with limited budgets choose influencers according to products' various levels of brand familiarity. Design/methodology/approach This study constructs an evolutionary game model of influencer marketing based on evolutionary game theory on complex networks. This model initiates various networks to demonstrate how influencers disseminate information and constructs update mechanisms to depict how individuals react to this information based on individuals' information utility and friends' strategies. Findings Simulation results suggest that companies should invest more in macro-influencers than in meso-influencers, however investing all in macro-influencers is not a good choice. The investment in meso-influencers will increase as brand familiarity decreases, whereas it will not exceed investment in macro-influencers. Furthermore, the accumulation of micro-influencers can accelerate the marketing process. Originality/value This study examines the combined effects of micro-influencers, meso-influencers and macro-influencers in marketing by simulating the marketing process initiated by influencers on social media.