The role of social media influencers in nation branding and relationship building with foreign audiences

Abstract

Partnering with social media influencers (SMIs) has extended to nearly all sectors, including nation branding and public diplomacy. However, limited research has focused on how influencers negotiate their identities and formulate strategies to communicate with international audiences. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 12 Korean SMIs targeting Chinese audiences to investigate the role of individual SMIs in international strategic communication. Specifically, it examines how SMIs collaborate with the government and negotiate their national identity to interact and build relationships with foreign publics. Based on the transactional model of communication as a framework, our analysis demonstrates how SMIs take the characteristics of self, listeners, messages, channels and context into account for crafting their communication strategies. These findings underscore the importance of mutuality and reciprocity, highlighting that understanding the cultural and social contexts of the target audiences’ country is crucial. Incorporating cultural exchange messages can increase audiences’ perceived authenticity of the message and amplifies the impact of international influencers’ strategic communication in nation branding and relationship-building with foreign publics. The findings are discussed in relation to advancing the role of SMIs in nation branding and relationship building with foreign publics.