9th International Conference on ICT for Sustainable Development

Authors - Soundarya Shankar, Srinidhi S, Deepak Gupta, Shobhana Madhavan
Abstract - The rapid rise of Instagram influencers has transformed the social media landscape, blurring the boundaries between entertainment, marketing, and personal branding. From fashionistas to fitness gurus, these individuals captivate millions with their meticulously maintained online personas, holding enormous power over consumer choices and cultural trends. But what motivates an individual to take this path, investing time and attention into establishing a digital presence for themselves? What are some of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that inspire people to become Instagram influencers? This study seeks to examine the intricate incentives that drive individuals to become influencers, expanding on previous findings from studies. The study investigates the influence of factors like social norms, social cause, desire for fame, desire for money, and other variables on the intention of an individual to become an Instagram influencer. Primary data was collected through an online questionnaire from 361 respondents through non-probabilistic purposive sampling, of which 316 responses were usable. The analysis was done using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Medsem was used to perform mediation analysis in Stata. From the study, it was inferred that desire for fame was the key variable that drives an individual’s choice to identify as an Instagram influencer. The desire to use the platform for social good also had a significant impact. The research can help businesses identify the right influencers to promote their products by understanding what motivates people to become influencers and can help businesses develop more targeted influencer marketing campaigns. By understanding influencer motivations, social media platforms can also develop strategies to promote positive and realistic portrayals of online life.