Influencer profiling: a comprehensive categorisation of social media influencers and their association with digital engagement

ABSTRACT Influencer marketing has evolved significantly, becoming more sophisticated and integral to brand success. Addressing the limitations of previous studies, this article presents an empirically validated categorisation of influencers by simultaneously considering their personal characteristics and content attributes. Using data from over 11,000 YouTube videos, we propose an empirical categorisation of six influencer profiles – Expert, Motivator, Attractive, Productive, Perfectionist, and Middle-of-the-road – based on several personal characteristics such as trustworthiness, originality, expertise, and over 40 linguistic elements. Moreover, we demonstrate the association between these profiles and different metrics of digital consumer engagement. This research advances the literature on social media influencers, offering valuable insights for developing effective influencer marketing strategies.