A life cycle framework of social media influencers and the influencer’ dilemma

IF 10.5 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Journal of Business Research Pub Date : 2025-06-05 DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115459

Katja Spörl-Wang, Franziska Krause, Sven Henkel

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

More than 64 million individuals currently identify as social media influencers (SMIs), yet research in this domain is still embryonic. Specifically, the conceptualization of SMI as a profession characterized by a dynamic evolution through various career phases remains largely unexplored. This study employs qualitative methodologies, including 31 semi-structured interviews with European lifestyle SMIs, to construct an SMI life cycle framework. This framework delineates four phases, three transition points, and four future trajectories. Additionally, this paper identifies the phenomenon of “influencers’ dilemma,” which encapsulates SMIs’ tension and subsequent hesitance to progress through the life cycle phases. This hesitation is attributed to five paradoxical motivational drivers and barriers: (1) sense of belonging: affiliation and non-affiliation; (2) pursuit of prestige and fame: enjoyment of disclosure and fear of privacy; (3) self-realization: proactive and forced self-realization; (4) freedom: full autonomy and restrained expectations; and (5) financial success: high payoffs today and uncertain payoffs tomorrow.

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社交媒体影响者的生命周期框架和影响者的困境

目前有超过6400万人被认为是社交媒体影响者（SMIs），但这一领域的研究仍处于萌芽阶段。具体而言，SMI作为一种职业的概念，其特点是通过不同的职业阶段动态演变，在很大程度上仍未被探索。本研究采用定性方法，包括31个对欧洲生活方式的SMI的半结构化访谈，以构建一个SMI生命周期框架。这个框架描绘了四个阶段，三个过渡点和四个未来的轨迹。此外，本文还确定了“影响者困境”现象，该现象概括了smi在生命周期阶段的紧张和随后的犹豫。这种犹豫是由五个矛盾的动机驱动因素和障碍造成的：(1)归属感：隶属与非隶属；(2)追求名利：享受披露，惧怕隐私；(3)自我实现：主动的、强迫的自我实现；(4)自由：充分的自主权和有限的期望；(5)财务上的成功：今天的高回报，明天的不确定回报。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Business Research BUSINESS-

CiteScore

20.30

自引率

10.60%

发文量

956

期刊介绍： The Journal of Business Research aims to publish research that is rigorous, relevant, and potentially impactful. It examines a wide variety of business decision contexts, processes, and activities, developing insights that are meaningful for theory, practice, and/or society at large. The research is intended to generate meaningful debates in academia and practice, that are thought provoking and have the potential to make a difference to conceptual thinking and/or practice. The Journal is published for a broad range of stakeholders, including scholars, researchers, executives, and policy makers. It aids the application of its research to practical situations and theoretical findings to the reality of the business world as well as to society. The Journal is abstracted and indexed in several databases, including Social Sciences Citation Index, ANBAR, Current Contents, Management Contents, Management Literature in Brief, PsycINFO, Information Service, RePEc, Academic Journal Guide, ABI/Inform, INSPEC, etc.