Study: Social Commerce Has the Potential to Help Those Who Seek to Leverage the Persuasive Power of Influencers

A new study has found that social commerce holds great potential for platforms, consumers, influencers, and brands who seek to leverage the persuasive power of influencers. The findings by Sylvia Chan-Olmsted, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) Media Production, Management, and Technology professor and Media Consumer Research director, and UFCJC doctoral student Hyehyun Julia Kim were featured in “Influencer Marketing and Social Commerce: Exploring the Role of Influencer Communities in Predicting Usage Intent” published in the Journal of Interactive Advertising on Sept. 14.

The study investigated three influencer-related relational angles—influencer community, individual consumer, and influencer-follower relationships—as they relate to commitment toward the influencer in facilitating usage intent.

According to the authors,” This study provided a new lens through which to view to the body of social commerce literature via social media influencers, their community, and the relational aspect of commitment.”

They add, “As social commerce continues to gain momentum in the United States, this study can offer important insight into factors that can help increase usage intent. More importantly, considering the social presence of influencers on social media and the interactivity affordances that the platform provides, social commerce holds great potential for platforms, consumers, influencers, and brands who seek to leverage the persuasive power of influencers.”

Posted: September 15, 2022
Category: College News, Student News
Tagged as: Hyehyun Julia Kim, Sylvia Chan-Olmsted