Expertise and Playfulness of Social Media Influencers

This study aims to empirically investigate the factors that influence the perceived uniqueness and authenticity of social media influencers to predict viewers' social media engagement with video content. Data for this study were collected from YouTube users in the United States through a survey methodology. The empirical findings indicate that influencers' production expertise and playfulness significantly affect their perceived uniqueness, resulting in viewers' sense of attachment toward them. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that influencers' content expertise and playfulness significantly impact their perceived authenticity, leading to viewer attachment and continued social media engagement. The theoretical and managerial implications of social media marketing are also discussed.