Parasocial interaction makes influencers reputable

A parasocial interaction describes a one-way relationship in which a person develops an emotional bond with another person. This is typically a celebrity, an influencer, or a popular fictional character.

This type of relationship could increase the persuasive power of influencers, according to a study by Babeș-Bolyai University.

Collaboration with Influencer

According to study leader Delia Christina Balaban, there are similarities between traditional celebrities and influencers. These are significant, she said, because social media influencers themselves are the shapers and managers of their followings. "We focused on the parasocial relationship between influencers and their followers and the role that relationship plays in advertising outcomes," the study leader said.

For the study, the experts worked with an influencer from Romania who has 12,000 followers on Instagram. The participants saw a screenshot from her profile page and an Instagram story in which she showed how to use the hairstyling product of a particular brand. 190 women participated in the study. 106 of them followed the influencer. According to the study, followers did not report a stronger parasocial relationship than non-followers.

Products increase parasocial relationship

As the study shows, higher product involvement goes hand in hand with a stronger parasocial relationship with the influencer. Followers who agree with statements like "I'm very interested in hairstyling products" and "Hairstyling plays an important role in my daily routine" are also more likely to agree with statements like "If the influencer felt good in the story, then I felt good too." Thus, according to study leader Balaban, social media users who are interested in the posted topic will also build a strong parasocial relationship with the influencer.

More intense parasocial relationships with the influencer are associated with perceived greater credibility - that is, trustworthiness and competence, it is said. Greater perceived credibility, in turn, is often associated with increased intentions to buy the advertised product. Balaban says the advantage of this study is that it was conducted in conjunction with an influencer. "Research that deals with influencers should be conducted in real-life situations." (pte)