The real power of influencers lies in their emotions (as long as they are real)
Sharing your joy with a smile, crying when you’re sad, and expressing your frustration about social issues. How an influencer expresses their emotions affects not only the popularity and success of the online creator, but also the thought patterns of their followers, says UvA researcher Siyi Gu. “The algorithms reinforce polarisation.”
Your research shows that influencers who display positive emotions are not more successful on Instagram. Which emotions should an influencer show – and which should they avoid – to build a career?
“If an influencer’s positive emotion isn’t authentic, if they’re faking a smile, it won’t make them any more successful. Sometimes influencers share negative emotions, such as their anger, frustration or sadness after a break-up. That sort of content can go viral and also generate more interaction and followers. So that can also help their career success. But authenticity is essential here. The emotion must be genuine and fit the situation.”
“So it’s usually not about which emotion is displayed, but whether it aligns with the message and is perceived as authentic. Genuine emotions increase the influencer’s relatability and popularity.”
“We showed examples of fictional Instagram posts, both with a neutral and a positive message. The positive emotion did not make the influencer more popular. Neutrality in expression can convey professionalism and objectivity, which can be effective for marketing and brand deals. There is no direct difference in what works better—a neutral or positive expression—as long as it fits the message. This differs from traditional marketing, where the emphasis is often placed on a happy face or other positive emotion.”
Why do emotions have such a big impact, even online?
“Emotional expression is a fundamental aspect of human communication. Nowadays, this increasingly takes place online. Emotional expression usually occurs in dialogues between two people, but influencers express this to hundreds, thousands and sometimes even millions of people. Because it reaches so many people, it has much more influence. That is why it is important to understand exactly what it does. Online creators are sometimes more emotional, or show it more, because they can also attract followers that way.”
What do you need to do to become a successful influencer?
“We measure an influencer’s popularity – and therefore their success – in two ways. Firstly, we look at the impression they leave on people. For example, do people think the influencer has a warm presence and comes across as competent? Secondly, we look at the interaction with the content they create and whether people are willing to talk openly about the influencer.”
“There is more to online success than meets the eye. In addition to authenticity, expertise in a specific field, such as beauty or lifestyle, is important. The quality of their content and whether people want to learn from them also influences their career success.”
How do influencers’ statements influence society?
“Social media platforms such as Instagram play a major role in public debate. Influencers post emotional content on social media and express their views on social issues. How influencers comment on social issues or debates can have a significant impact on how people think. It can reinforce polarisation, because the algorithms mean you see more content that you like or that aligns with your views. In this study, we saw that people became more confident in their opinions by seeing content that matched their own emotional response. The more confident someone becomes, the harder it is to challenge them. This can relate to topics such as racism, so it can be problematic.”
Siyi Gu was awarded her PhD on Tuesday, 21 April, for her dissertation: “Emotions in the Spotlight: Interpersonal Consequences of Social Media Influencers”
