ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Today, celebrities enjoy numerous advantages and benefits from their use of social media platforms. This study examines how celebrities interact with fans on social media, specifically on Instagram, to better understand the motivations behind their constant presence. The study also aims to determine the likelihood and outcomes that prompt celebrities to interact with their fans online. The data for this study comprises eight current Malaysian celebrities with Instagram followings of more than five hundred thousand. Thematic analysis techniques were employed to examine the study's findings. According to this survey, celebrities who have amassed a sizable following on Instagram actively interact with their fans to generate revenue. Additionally, this study demonstrates that certain celebrities are likely to become Instagram ambassadors by promoting their own companies, products, and services, as well as those of others. The study's findings also highlight the importance of Instagram for business marketing and promotion, as it is a practical and affordable platform. Despite the scope of this study being restricted to specific celebrities on Instagram, the practical implications are closely tied to the level and type of interaction with followers on social media in general. This understanding is essential for comprehending social media influencers and the range of creative marketing strategies used by Malaysian celebrities.
Ahmadi, A., Fakhimi, S., & Ahmadi, Y. (2022). Instagram celebrities and positive user responses. The mediating role of user “like.” Journal of Contemporary Marketing Science, 5(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcmars-01-2021-0002
Appel, G., Grewal, L., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. T. (2020). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 79–95.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1
Balaban, D. C., Szambolics, J., & Chiric?, M. (2022). Parasocial relations and social media influencers’ persuasive power. Exploring the moderating role of product involvement. Acta Psychologica, 230, 103731.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103731
Barta, S., Belanche, D., Fernández, A., & Flavián, M. (2023). Influencer marketing on TikTok: The effectiveness of humor and followers’ hedonic experience. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 70, 103149.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103149
Belanche, D., Casaló, L. V, Flavián, M., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2021). Understanding influencer marketing: The role of congruence between influencers, products and consumers. Journal of Business Research, 132, 186–195.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.067
Brooks, G., Drenten, J., & Piskorski, M. J. (2021). Influencer Celebrification: How Social Media Influencers Acquire Celebrity Capital. Journal of Advertising, 50(5), 528–547. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2021.1977737
Conde, R., & Casais, B. (2023). Micro, macro and mega-influencers on instagram: The power of persuasion via the parasocial relationship. Journal of Business Research, 158, 113708. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113708
Dwivedi, A., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Eyal, K., Te’eni-Harari, T., & Katz, K. (2020). A content analysis of teen-favored celebrities’ posts on social networking sites: Implications for parasocial relationships and fame-valuation. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 14(2), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2020-2-7
Gong, A.-D., & Huang, Y.-T. (2022). When young female fans were producing celebrities: The influential factors related to online fan engagement, celebrity worship, and program commitment in idol-nurturing reality shows. Frontiers in Communication, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.931185
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Asim Qadri, M., Pratap Singh, R., & Suman, R. (2022). Artificial intelligence (AI) applications for marketing: A literature-based study. International Journal of Intelligent Networks, 3, 119–132.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijin.2022.08.005
Hee-Eun Han, G.-Q. C., & Jin, C.-H. (2021). The role of human brands in consumer attitude formation: Anthropomorphized messages and brand authenticity. Cogent Business \& Management, 8(1), 1923355. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1923355
Ismagilova, E., Slade, E. L., Rana, N. P., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2020). The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth Communications on Intention to Buy: A Meta-Analysis. Information Systems Frontiers, 22(5), 1203–1226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-019-09924-y
Jun, M., Han, J., Zhou, Z., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2023). When is celebrity endorsement effective? Exploring the role of celebrity endorsers in enhancing key brand associations. Journal of Business Research, 164, 113951.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113951
Kim, M., & Kim, J. (2020). How does a celebrity make fans happy? Interaction between celebrities and fans in the social media context. Computers in Human Behavior, 111, 106419. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106419
Lili, Z., Al Mamun, A., Hayat, N., Salamah, A. A., Yang, Q., & Ali, M. H. (2022). Celebrity Endorsement, Brand Equity, and Green Cosmetics Purchase Intention Among Chinese Youth. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.860177
Marickar, S., & Rajasekhar, D. (2020). Review Article An Analysis of Growth and Usage Patterns of Instagram Users for Effective Brand Engagement in the Middle East. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(2), 265–267.
https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.02.49
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2023). A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 16094069231205788.
https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789
Otamendi, F. J., & Sutil Martín, D. L. (2020). The Emotional Effectiveness of Advertisement. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02088
Pedalino, F., & Camerini, A.-L. (2022). Instagram Use and Body Dissatisfaction: The Mediating Role of Upward Social Comparison with Peers and Influencers among Young Females. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031543
Richter, E., Carpenter, J. P., Meyer, A., & Richter, D. (2022). Instagram as a platform for teacher collaboration and digital social support. Computers & Education, 190, 104624. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104624
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258–281.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898
Schramm, W. (1954). Procedures and Effects of Mass Communication. Teachers College Record, 55(10), 113–138. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146815405501006
Shahbaznezhad, H., Dolan, R., & Rashidirad, M. (2021). The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users’ Engagement Behavior. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.05.001
Stieger, S., Schmid, I., Altenburger, P., & Lewetz, D. (2023). Short-, medium-, and long-term impact of watching humorous video clips on stress and well-being: An experience sampling method-based field experiment. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 10, 100270. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100270
van Oosten, J. M. F., Vandenbosch, L., & Peter, J. (2023). Predicting the use of visually oriented social media: The role of psychological well-being, body image concerns and sought appearance gratifications. Computers in Human Behavior, 144, 107730.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107730
Venciute, D., Mackeviciene, I., Kuslys, M., & Correia, R. F. (2023). The role of influencer–follower congruence in the relationship between influencer marketing and purchase behaviour. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 75, 103506.
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103506
Verma, S., & Yadav, N. (2021). Past, Present, and Future of Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM). Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53(1), 111–128.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.07.001
Wei, L. H., Huat, O. C., & Thurasamy, R. (2023). The impact of social media communication on consumer-based brand equity and purchasing intent in a pandemic. International Marketing Review, 40(5), 1213–1244. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-12-2021-0353
Wong, A., Ho, S., Olusanya, O., Antonini, M. V., & Lyness, D. (2021). The use of social media and online communications in times of pandemic COVID-19. Journal of the Intensive Care Society, 22(3), 255–260. https://doi.org/10.1177/1751143720966280
(Liyana et al., 2024)
Liyana, M. R., Norasikin, A., Amirul, A.R., Aishah, A.R. (2024). Celebrities and Digital Marketing: The Importance of Celebrity Engagement on Instagram Social Media Platform. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(7), 1211–1228.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode