The Road to Legitimate Engagement for Social Media Influencers Followers
1Pandu Fadilah Sya, 2Chusnul Rofiah
1,2STIE PGRI Dewantara Jombang,
https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v7-i6-45ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study is to reveal the role of social media influencers, especially @chintakharisma and @anone033, in promoting products and institutions on the TikTok platform. By focusing on content strategy, direct interaction with followers, and its effect on consumer behavior, this study highlights the significant contribution of influencers in digital marketing. Using qualitative research with a cyber phenomenology approach. This research model uses a simple design with Triangulation Theory. The data collection techniques used are observation, interviews and documentation. The data analysis technique used is the Manual Data Analysis Procedure (MDAP). The findings show that the use of value-based content, responsiveness to questions and feedback, and strong community development can increase follower engagement and support the success of marketing campaigns. The practical and theoretical applications of this study are outlined, providing guidance for digital marketing researchers and directions for further research in this domain.
KEYWORDS:
social media influencers, TikTok, digital marketing, follower engagement, interaction, consumer behavior.
REFERENCES:
1) Akdim, K. (2021). The influence of eWOM. Analyzing its characteristics and consequences, and future research lines. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, 25(2), 239–259.
2) 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.
3) Arenas-Márquez, F. J., Martínez-Torres, M. D. R., & Toral, S. L. (2021). How can trustworthy influencers be identified in electronic word-of-mouth communities? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 166, 120596.
4) Babić Rosario, A., De Valck, K., & Sotgiu, F. (2020). Conceptualizing the electronic word-of-mouth process: What we know and need to know about eWOM creation, exposure, and evaluation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3), 422–448.
5) Balkin, J. M. (2021). How to regulate (and not regulate) social media. J. Free Speech L., 1, 71.
6) Belhadi, A., Kamble, S., Benkhati, I., Gupta, S., & Mangla, S. K. (2023). Does strategic management of digital technologies influence electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and customer loyalty? Empirical insights from B2B platform economy. Journal of Business Research, 156, 113548.
7) Berne Manero, M. del C., Moretta Tartaglione, A., Russo, G., & Cavacece, Y. (2023). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth management in hotel ecosystem: insights about managers’ decision-making process. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 24(1), 227–256.
8) Boucher, V. (2022). Down the TikTok rabbit hole: Testing the TikTok algorithm’s contribution to right wing extremist radicalization. Queen’s University (Canada).
9) Boulianne, S., & Larsson, A. O. (2023). Engagement with candidate posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook during the 2019 election. New Media & Society, 25(1), 119–140.
10) Bungin, B., Teguh, M., & Dafa, M. (2021). Cyber Community Towards Society 5.0 And The Future Of Social Reality. International Journal of Computer and Information System (IJCIS), 2(3), 73–79.
11) Cheng, Y., Hung-Baesecke, C.-J. F., & Chen, Y.-R. R. (2024). Social media influencer effects on CSR communication: The role of influencer leadership in opinion and taste. International Journal of Business Communication, 61(2), 336–359.
12) Chusnul Rofiah, S. E. (2023). METODE PENELITIAN KUALITATIF Lengkap dengan Rencana Pembelajaran Semester dan Contoh Pedoman Penulisan Skripsi Kualitatif. CV Literasi Nusantara Abadi.
13) Costello, J., & Biondi, L. (2020). The art of deception: Will fake followers decay trust and can authenticity preserve it? In Influencer Marketing (pp. 215–232). Routledge.
14) Darvin, R. (2022). Design, resistance and the performance of identity on TikTok. Discourse, Context & Media, 46, 100591.
15) Dubois, E., Minaeian, S., Paquet-Labelle, A., & Beaudry, S. (2020). Who to trust on social media: How opinion leaders and seekers avoid disinformation and echo chambers. Social Media+ Society, 6(2), 2056305120913993.
16) Enke, N., & Borchers, N. S. (2021). Social media influencers in strategic communication: A conceptual framework for strategic social media influencer communication. In Social media influencers in strategic communication (pp. 7–23). Routledge.
17) Halpin, D. R., Fraussen, B., & Ackland, R. (2021). Which audiences engage with advocacy groups on Twitter? Explaining the online engagement of elite, peer, and mass audiences with advocacy groups. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 50(4), 842–865.
18) Haslem, B. (2022). TikTok as a Digital Activism Space: Social Justice Under Algorithmic Control. Old Dominion University.
19) Heavey, C., Simsek, Z., Kyprianou, C., & Risius, M. (2020). How do strategic leaders engage with social media? A theoretical framework for research and practice. Strategic Management Journal, 41(8), 1490–1527.
20) Höttecke, D., & Allchin, D. (2020). Reconceptualizing nature‐of‐science education in the age of social media. Science Education, 104(4), 641–666.
21) Hudders, L., De Jans, S., & De Veirman, M. (2021). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. Social Media Influencers in Strategic Communication, 24–67.
22) Iosifidis, P., & Nicoli, N. (2020). Digital democracy, social media and disinformation. Routledge.
23) Issar, S. (2023). The social construction of algorithms in everyday life: Examining TikTok users’ understanding of the platform’s algorithm. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–15.
24) Li, X. L., & Feng, J. (2021). Empowerment or disempowerment: Exploring stakeholder engagement in nation branding through a mixed method approach to social network analysis. Public Relations Review, 47(3), 102024.
25) Luqiu, L. R., & Yang, F. (2020). Weibo diplomacy: Foreign embassies communicating on Chinese social media. Government Information Quarterly, 37(3), 101477.
26) Maris, E., Caplan, R., & Thach, H. (2024). Taking back and giving back on TikTok: Algorithmic mutual aid in the platform economy. New Media & Society, 1461444824.
27) Nafees, L., Cook, C. M., Nikolov, A. N., & Stoddard, J. E. (2021). Can social media influencer (SMI) power influence consumer brand attitudes? The mediating role of perceived SMI credibility. Digital Business, 1(2), 100008.
28) Nisar, T. M., Prabhakar, G., Ilavarasan, P. V., & Baabdullah, A. M. (2020). Up the ante: Electronic word of mouth and its effects on firm reputation and performance. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101726.
29) Olan, F., Jayawickrama, U., Arakpogun, E. O., Suklan, J., & Liu, S. (2024). Fake news on social media: the impact on society. Information Systems Frontiers, 26(2), 443–458.
30) Peterson-Salahuddin, C. (2023). News for (Me and) You: Exploring the Reporting Practices of Citizen Journalists on TikTok. Journalism Studies, 1–19.
31) Pop, R. A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D. C., & Alt, M. A. (2022). The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: The role of trust in consumer decision journey. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(5), 823–843.
32) Reisach, U. (2021). The responsibility of social media in times of societal and political manipulation. European Journal of Operational Research, 291(3), 906–917.
33) Rofiah, C. (2021). QUALITATIVE METHODS: SIMPLE RESEARCH WITH TRIANGULATION THEORY DESIGN. Develop, 5(1), 18–28.
34) Rofiah, C. (2022). Analisis Data Kualitatif: Manual Atau Dengan Aplikasi? Develop, 6(1), 33–46.
35) Rofiah, C. (2023). Tren Pemasaran Masa Depan. MARGIN ECO, 7(2), 113–147.
36) Rofiah, C., & Bungin, B. (2021). Qualitative Methods: Simple Research With Triangulation Theory Design. Develop, 5(1), 18–28.
37) Romero Moreno, F. (2020). Upload filters’ and human rights: implementing Article 17 of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 34(2), 153–182.
38) Shankar, A., Jebarajakirthy, C., & Ashaduzzaman, M. (2020). How do electronic word of mouth practices contribute to mobile banking adoption? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101920.
39) Tanwar, A. S., Chaudhry, H., & Srivastava, M. K. (2024). Social media influencers: literature review, trends and research agenda. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 21(2), 173–202.
40) Verma, S., & Yadav, N. (2021). Past, present, and future of electronic word of mouth (EWOM). Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53(1), 111–128.
41) Vrontis, D., Makrides, A., Christofi, M., & Thrassou, A. (2021). Social media influencer marketing: A systematic review, integrative framework and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), 617–644.
42) Wies, S., Bleier, A., & Edeling, A. (2023). Finding goldilocks influencers: How follower count drives social media engagement. Journal of Marketing, 87(3), 383–405.
43) Yarchi, M., Baden, C., & Kligler-Vilenchik, N. (2021). Political polarization on the digital sphere: A cross-platform, over-time analysis of interactional, positional, and affective polarization on social media. Political Communication, 38(1–2), 98–139.
44) Yoo, E., Rabinovich, E., & Gu, B. (2020). The growth of follower networks on social media platforms for humanitarian operations. Production and Operations Management, 29(12), 2696–2715.
45) Zeng, J., & Kaye, D. B. V. (2022). From content moderation to visibility moderation: A case study of platform governance on TikTok. Policy & Internet, 14(1), 79–95.
46) Zurovac, E., Boccia Artieri, G., & Donato, V. (2023). Tales of Visibility in TikTok: The Algorithmic Imaginary and Digital Skills in Young Users. In Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Stories, Platforms, Communities (pp. 113–126). Springer.
