Artificial intelligence in influencer marketing: A mixed-method comparison of human and virtual influencers on Instagram

Jiemin Looi*, Lee Ann Kahlor

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferenceConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

This study compares the persuasion strategies and outcomes between human and virtual influencers. Sentiment analysis indicated a positivity bias of Instagram posts from human and virtual influencers. Topic modeling revealed that both influencers asserted their opinion leadership in different ways: Human influencers engaged in active self-promotion, while virtual influencers emphasized their identity. A natural experiment found that human influencers elicited greater engagement than virtual influencers. Influencer tier and Instagram verification significantly interacted to affect engagement.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 6 Aug 2022
Event105th Annual Conference of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, AEJMC 2022: Focusing on the Future Together - Detroit, United States
Duration: 3 Aug 20226 Aug 2022
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/67109922/22conferenceprogram (Link to conference programme)

Conference

Conference105th Annual Conference of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, AEJMC 2022
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDetroit
Period3/08/226/08/22
Internet address

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