The Follower-Influencer Experience Affecting the Intention to Follow Recommendation: PAD Perspective

Abstract

In harnessing social media, concerns are mostly concentrated on the influencer side of social media for the followers to follow the recommendation from the influencer. However, the follower's experience is equally important as it is the follower who determines whether or not to follow the influencer's advice above all other influences. This research investigates the follower experience in deciding whether the follower will follow the influencer's advice. The emotional dimensions: Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) is employed as a theoretical lens to portray these phenomena. 314 screened responders were collected and analysed in total using Structural Equation Modelling. The results show that the PAD significantly improves the commitment of the followers which might lead them to intention to follow the influencer's recommendation. Theoretically, this study indicates that PAD can well mediate the follower-influencer experience that might affect the intention to follow a recommendation. In practice, this study tells the influencer and the brand that knowing the experiences of the followers is equally important for a more effective impact. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed