ABSTRACT
The rise of influencer marketing and “social media influencers” has helped shape consumer purchasing decisions, but it is unclear why people engage with these phenomena “influencers and their content” on social media. We use a qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews to capture rich data responses. This chapter takes into consideration that consumers can engage through several usage typologies including consuming (viewing) and contributing (liking/commenting/ sharing). The motivations behind these types of engagement can stem from concepts extracted from self-determination theory. In combination with new motivations, we explore the different types of engagement with influencers and their posts on Instagram. The penultimate section of this chapter introduces a coherent conceptual framework, synthesizing the motivations behind post-millennials’ engagement with influencers’ brand-related posts and offers a platform for further research into the new motivations identified.
