It’s an Influencer’s World & We’re All Just Living in It: How Can Fashion Influencers Build Their Community with a Generation Z Audience?

Abstract

People are more willing to trust someone they consider to be just like them, and fashion brands and marketers have taken notice. Using online questionnaire, the researchers collected data from a total of 203 Gen Z females who were followers of fashion influencers. The study provides empirical support of the similarity attraction theory (SAT) on how fashion influencers can build their followers. The results imply that perceived similar style and perceived similar values are a couple of the main qualities consumers consider before following a fashion influencer. After they follow the said influencer, they are then more likely to interact (i.e. liking, commenting, direct messaging, etc.) with the influencer’s account and emulate their style. These results can provide valuable information to those fashion influencers seeking to grow their online community and marketers seeking to use influencers as a form of advertising.