Exploring influencee resonance with social media influencers

Abstract

The rise of social media has redefined consumer engagement, with social media influencers (SMIs) emerging as powerful intermediaries shaping audience behaviours, perceptions and brand relationships. This study explores influencee resonance, focusing on the psychological, social, and narrative factors that drive varying levels of connection between influencees and influencers. Resonance determines the depth and longevity of the influencee-influencer relationship, shaping not only engagement patterns but also the extent to which influencees internalise, trust, and act upon the content they consume. It investigates how authenticity, transparency, shared experiences, values, and aspirations contribute to the strength of resonance, influencing consumer trust and engagement. Using a qualitative, exploratory research design, this researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve South African social media users, applying thematic analysis via ATLAS.ti to identify patterns in influencee-influencer relationships. Findings reveal that authenticity, consistency, and relatability are fundamental to deep resonance, fostering long-term trust and engagement. Influencees who experience deep resonance often integrate influencers into their self-identity, drawing personal inspiration and validation from their content. Conversely, shallow resonance is driven by entertainment or aesthetic appeal, with engagement remaining passive and transient. Factors such as perceived inauthenticity, commercialisation, and misalignment with audience expectations diminish resonance, leading to disengagement. This study contributes to theoretical discourse on digital influence by applying Parasocial Relationship Theory, Social Influence Theory and applying the model of Brand Resonance to explain the evolving nature of influencee-influencer dynamics and introducing a typology for the types of resonance. From a practical perspective, the findings provide actionable insights for brands and influencers, emphasising the need to foster genuine connections, maintain narrative consistency, and align content with audience values to enhance engagement, loyalty, and consumer-brand trust in influencer marketing.