INFLUENCER MARKETING: A STRATEGY SUSTAINED BY THE PARA-SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS

During the Era of the digitalization, Social Media platforms became integral part of many people’s daily routine. Social media are nowadays not only a source of information and a place where users can interact by creating and sharing digital contents but also an opportunity for businesses to enhance their brand awareness and brand image with the possibility to reach a large number of people in shorter time through their advertisements online and also thanks to a new marketing strategy: the Influencer Marketing. Since the times of social media, brands are studying this phenomenon which is the cause of an actual change on consumers purchase intentions that are often biased by induced needs. This strategy has identified para-social interactions and para-social relationships between followers and influencers, as two focal constructs between the two parties, affecting followers' purchase intentions. Moreover, influencers are perceived as more sincere in delivering and demonstrating the endorsed product to their followers with respect to regular celebrities because of the affinity and trust built over time. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how is considered to be the para-social relationship between influencers and their followers from social media users’ perspective.