Fostering YouTube followers’ stickiness through social contagion: The role of digital influencer' characteristics and followers’ compensation psychology

In the information age, many individuals turn to digital influencers' videos on social media as a source of stress relief, emotional support, and a sense of friendship-like connection, and this process of emotional transmission is well described by social contagion theory. Given the limited research on the role of follower stickiness in determining the market value of digital influencers, we integrate the characteristics of digital influencers, incorporating social compensation theory and empathy as follower traits, and demonstrate a positive impact on parasocial interaction. An online survey was conducted with 597 participants who had watched digital influencer videos. This study highlights the role of social contagion theory, offering a novel perspective that highlights the importance of improving followers' online social well-being and stickiness after interacting with digital influencers through emotional contagion. Furthermore, our findings highlight the mediating role of online social well-being in strengthening stickiness between followers and digital influencers.