Content uploaded by Ghulam Abid
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Ghulam Abid on Jul 16, 2022
Content may be subject to copyright.
Information 2022, 13, 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/info13070345 www.mdpi.com/journal/information
Article
Influencer Marketing on Instagram: A Sequential Mediation
Model of Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement via
Relatability and Trust
Madiha Atiq 1, Ghulam Abid 1, Aizza Anwar 2,* and Muhammad Fazal Ijaz 3,*
1 Department of Business Studies, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore 54000, Pakistan;
madiha.atiiq@gmail.com (M.A.), ghulam.abid@kinnaird.edu.pk (G.A.)
2 School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, George Town 11800, Malaysia
3 Department of Intelligent Mechatronics Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea
* Correspondence: aizzaanwar@gmail.com (A.A.); fazal@sejong.ac.kr (M.F.I.)
Abstract: Storytelling content is where the facts are conveyed by emotion and that make people
more engaged and want to take action or change their surroundings. Stories fascinate people and
can easily be remembered compared to the facts alone. The much-hyped feature “stories” of Insta-
gram, a trendy social media platform, has become a game-changer for influencer marketing. The
present study extends reactance theory in the context of Instagram’s millennial users. Previous re-
searchers have tested the effectiveness of the stories feature of this particular social media plat-
form. Therefore, in line with the earlier studies, we propose a sequential mediation model that in-
vestigates the effect of storytelling content (made by Instagram Influencers) on audience engage-
ment using two sequential mediation mechanisms of relatability and trust. Data were obtained us-
ing a cross-sectional study design from 273 millennial users of Instagram. Our results justify the
direct and indirect hypothesized relationship through Process Macros. We found that relatability
and trust play a significant role in building a strong relationship between storytelling content and
audience engagement. Ultimately, the research findings suggest that professionals should be more
creative while making the content on Instagram to engage the millennial market. Moreover, this
research has tried to fill the gap in the literature on Instagram “stories” as an advertising platform.
Keywords: Instagram; storytelling; stories; Instagram influencers; relatability; audience engagement;
millennial
1. Introduction
Individuals spend more of their time on Instagram compared to other social media
platforms [1]. Instagram is one of the fastest-growing social media networks where users
share life experiences in videos or still posts. The “stories” feature launched in 2016 has
gained significant popularity. That allows the digital influencers or users to upload pho-
tos and videos and do live talks with the audience, which remains for 24 h only [2].
However, the academic research on this subject, particularly studies in digital storytell-
ing, is limited [3]. Due to Instagram, influencer marketing has been growing by leaps
and bounds in the past few years. For every dollar businesses spend on this field, they
generate more than USD 5 in profits, and 59% of marketers said they intended to expand
their influencer budget next year [4].
Digital influencers are now considered more credible than traditional media [5].
The new “stories” feature helps an influencer communicate with their audience by mak-
ing a short clip of their work and updating them about their daily routine. The results of
previous studies have revealed that the video ads presented on social media have influ-
enced the consumer’s attitude towards the ad, and Instagram stories have higher ad ef-
Citation: Atiq, M.; Abid, G.; Anwar, A.;
Ijaz, M.F. Influencer Marketing on
Instagram: A Sequential Mediation
Model of Storytelling Content and
Audience Engagement Via Relatability
and Trust. Information 2022, 13, 345.
https://doi.org/10.3390/info13070345
Academic Editor: Sarantos
Kapidakis
Received: 1 May 2022
Accepted: 12 July 2022
Published: 16 July 2022
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neu-
tral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and insti-
tutional affiliations.
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license
(https://creativecommons.org/license
s/by/4.0/).
Information 2022, 13, 345 2 of 19
fectiveness compared to still posts [2]. Keeping this contention in mind, the primary aim
of this research is to develop the mechanism connecting the storytelling content of an in-
fluencer and the audience’s engagement with the storytelling content.
Trust is essential in developing relations with someone, as it improves efficiency,
increases flexibility, and helps in a long-term relationship between the two parties [6,7].
According to the model presented by Morgan and Hunt (1994), the interaction between
the seller and the buyer influences trust due to shared values. The previous research
shows that communication through stories enables the customer to engage and connect
with the salesperson [8]. Thus, this study examines trust’s role in storytelling content
and audience engagement.
The researchers [9] suggested five main antecedents of trust, but relatability was not
one of them. Relatability is a non-linguistic concept [10]. The self-determination theory
proposes that humans have three basic fundamental and universal psychological needs:
competence, autonomy, and relatedness (i.e., relatability), that help humans grow and
their optimal functioning [11]. There is a fundamental need for belongingness in people
[12]. This study also investigates the mediating role of relatability between storytelling
content and audience engagement.
Based on previous research, such as reactance theory, we propose that Instagram
users may have increased motivation to process ephemeral content (i.e., storytelling con-
tent) that allows them to interact with the influencer freely, resulting in more engage-
ment. Thus, this study examines the impact of storytelling content created by Instagram
influencers on audience engagement, explicitly focusing on the millennial market. To the
best of our knowledge, this study is the first to empirically examine the relationship be-
tween storytelling content and audience engagement with the presence of two media-
tors; relatability and trust. This study will assist marketers interested in increasing their
horizons to draw the consumers’ attention toward influencer marketing.
This paper is structured as follows. First, the existing literature is reviewed. The
main effect hypothesis of storytelling content influences audience engagement and re-
latability and the mediating role of relatability and trust are deduced. Furthermore, the
data collection process is discussed. Third, factor analysis, correlation analysis, and re-
gression analysis are conducted on the data to test the research hypotheses. Fourth,
based on the results of the empirical test, the contribution is discussed in the domains of
influencer marketing and helps the social media influencers understand how the millen-
nial segment can be reached more effectively, states the study’s shortcomings, and pro-
vides practical implications.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers are those people who have built a handsome social net-
work of people following them on their social media accounts [13]. They are seen as
trusted tastemakers and are approached by different brands to endorse their products.
They also build their following by engaging the audience in their daily routine. We all
know that traditional marketing has been pushed back due to several factors; more im-
portance has recently been given to digital influencers due to their higher credibility and
authenticity [14]. Additionally, digital influencers are more affordable, and their reach is
tremendous. Previous studies show that the amount of followers an influencer has on
Instagram affects consumers’ attitudes towards them [15]. So, it will be correct to say that we
as users rely more on digital influencers because we know them more than any celebrity.
2.2. Emergence of Influencer Marketing
It has been observed in the world of consumer behavior and marketing literature
that electronic word of mouth or the information one obtains from someone who has
personally used a product has a more substantial impact on consumer decision-making
Information 2022, 13, 345 3 of 19
compared to traditional marketing [16]. One tends to buy a product that is being rec-
ommended by a relative or someone close to them. The power of eWOM has been accel-
erated by the internet. Through social media platforms like Instagram, people started
showing their daily routines to their followers through the help of feature “stories” in-
troduced by Instagram in 2016. Snapchat, another social media platform, initially started
this. Then, the ordinary people felt they could influence their followers by posting a sto-
ry of the products they were using or how they behaved. Hence, their social media activ-
ities could affect the attitudes and behaviors of their followers [17]. That is how they be-
came digital influencers and how influencer marketing started. Through vlogging, blog-
ging, and short content, they interact with their followers and give insights into their
personal lives. Unlike celebrities, influencers are thought to be more reachable, relatable,
and believable [10]. Studies have shown that one in every five Instagram accounts react-
ed to the introduction of the “stories” feature in 2017. Instagram stories have surpassed
Snapchat’s 150 million DAUs in 8 months, reaching almost 500 million daily users [18].
2.3. The Feature “Stories” on Instagram
In influencer marketing, feature “stories” has significantly boosted digital influenc-
ers’ followers. So this section explains what this feature is, how it works, and how it has
helped the influencers increase their followers. Instagram influencers or any Instagram
user put up a story as a video or a still post on their account, which stays for 24 h. The
followers can see the story and interact with the person who has posted it. Users can add
different colors to the videos they post, and the communication can be text-based too
[19]. The feature right after 2016 became so popular that whatever happened, people
would say, “Put it in your story”. We all know that we are associated with different sto-
ries ever since the day we were born. Any content created as a story helps us understand
things more clearly. So, these digital influencers make content in the form of a story,
share it on their account, and sometimes respond to queries of their followers. The con-
tent can be advice, opinions, experiences, photos, videos, etc. However, posting personal
videos on this platform helps the followers relate to the Instagram influencer. They are
approachable as well as relatable.
2.4. Storytelling Content
Storytelling has been a part of everyone’s lives for ages [20]. Storytelling content
(STC) is defined as “the facts conveyed by emotion that make people more engaged and
want to take action or change their surroundings” [21]. Storytelling always has a begin-
ning, a middle, and an ending plot (Escalas, 2004). The feature “stories” of Instagram, in-
troduced in 2016, is now being used as a marketing tool. Instagram influencers make dif-
ferent videos and put them on their “stories” to engage them. Initially, the researcher
[22] came up with the circle of trust concerning digital storytelling, where he highlighted
that storytelling gives an in-the-moment experience to the audience. Lambert has also
worked with many communities and organizations to create story-based programs world-
wide since the 1990s. Lambert’s publications have popularized that digital storytelling
(DST) is about making short video clips to produce personal stories [23]. The content
shown in a story form is pleasurable for the audience because they enjoy it as a protago-
nist and the audience [24]. Based on the reactance theory (Brehm, 1966), users’ reaction
to video storytelling content is more engaging than static posts. Likewise, researchers
[25] also referred to Brehm’s theory as part of their study on Instagram content. One of
the earliest supporters of applying digital storytelling was Gubrim [23]. The researcher
in [26] referred to Lambert’s work, but his focus was more on photovoice in storytelling.
2.5. Audience Engagement and Storytelling Content
Audience engagement refers to how the audience faces emotional, cognitive, or af-
fective experiences with media content [27]; this phenomenon can result in higher inter-
Information 2022, 13, 345 4 of 19
action with the content or more news consumption [28]. Social media influencers are the
opinion leaders who communicate with a specific audience’s social networks following
them [13]. The main objective is to increase the number of followers by making some en-
gaging content for their blog. According to previous studies, the micro-influencers with
less than ten thousand followers on Instagram are thought to attain a more desirable
form of engagement compared to macro-influencers, the reason being having fewer fol-
lowers and a higher interaction rate resulting in a higher conversion rate [29]. In our
study, we have taken audience engagement as a psychological state. Prior studies ex-
plained how a visual interaction could result in higher audience engagement. Addition-
ally, digital storytelling can increase audience engagement [30].
The proposed theory of audience engagement [31] states that a user’s engagement is
a multidimensional phenomenon with emotional and behavioral dimensions. The users
interpret the news and invest their energies in relating to the knowledge given. The degree
of involvement with the news may vary from audience to audience; some may absorb the
story, some may interact with the news, or some may participate in it [27]. Decades ago, it
was observed that society now depends more on visual images [32]. Previous research
shows that visual communication is becoming a dominant communication method [33].
The ‘Narrative Paradigm’ positioned storytelling as the foundational form of hu-
man communication [34]. The researcher further argued that narrative (i.e., storytelling
content) is wired into the human psyche. The narrative can be videos or images [35]. A
story nowadays is produced to engage and attract the audience in many revolutionary
ways [36]. Due to the rapid increase in the types of content, the biggest challenge is
keeping the audience engaged [36]. Drawing on the reactance theory [37]. We propose
that storytelling content will likely help the audience engage with the brief content.
Hence, we hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 1. Storytelling content has a positive influence on audience engagement.
2.6. Storytelling Content and Relatability
In recent times, the new “buzzword” for social marketing is ‘relatability’, a non-
linguistic concept [10]. Relatability is a situation where an ordinary person might see
themself reflected [38]. There is a fundamental need for a sense of belonging in people
[39]. The self-determination theory proposes that humans have three basic fundamental
and universal psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness (i.e., relata-
bility) that helps humans grow and optimal functioning [11]. According to a researcher
[40], digital celebrity groups, such as vloggers, bloggers, and ‘Instafamous’ personalities,
appeal to common reference groups. A group of people is defined as a reference group
that shapes the values and attitudes of an individual as a reference and helps the con-
sumers make their purchase decisions [41]. A report on Forbes regarding influencers
stated that relatability had become a critical factor in making an influencer successful
[42]. Influencers update their private lives on Instagram and share their personal opin-
ions [43,44]. This kind of communication makes the viewers more open to influencers.
The content displayed by the social media influencers is preferred more than their
advertisements as the content is unbiased [45]. The content is considered relatable if easi-
ly understood and jargon-free [45]. Until the source (i.e., content) is relevant, there stays
a bond between a source provider and the viewer [46]. According to researchers [13,47],
a constant update of private life is the central aspect of relatability. Due to the rapid in-
crease in the types of content produced, the biggest challenge is keeping the audience
engaged [36]. Through storytelling, relationships are built between the participants
(Kim, 2013). The audience not just sees the story but interprets it according to their prior
knowledge, personality, and demographics [48].
According to [49], generation Z has an attention span of 8 seconds towards any con-
tent, so it must be very relatable to them to keep them hooked. Additionally, the sense of
narrative (storytelling content) has a very high level of interactivity [50]. Based on the
Information 2022, 13, 345 5 of 19
reactance theory, we propose that users feel more related to the ephemeral content, al-
lowing them to freely interact with the influencer and the storytelling content they
make. Therefore, it is not surprising that we identified relatability as a phenomenon that
is an antecedent of storytelling content. Hence, we hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 2. Storytelling content has a positive impact on relatability.
2.7. Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement: Relatability as a Mediator
Based on the discussion, we presume that the relatability of an influencer mediates
the relationship between storytelling content and audience engagement. Hypothesis 2
proposes a positive relationship between storytelling content and relatability, whereas
hypothesis 1 proposes an influence of storytelling content on the audience. Mutually
these two hypotheses contribute to developing a model in which storytelling content in-
directly augments audience engagement with the help of relatability, which works as a
mediator in this model. It is predicted that a feeling of relatability with an influencer will
help mediate the relationship between storytelling content and audience engagement.
A man is known to be a ‘storytelling animal’ [51]. The human experience becomes
meaningful [52]. The narrative spread on Instagram consists of short stories or photos
[53]. Previous studies show that sharing experiences affects people’s beliefs, attitudes,
and behavior [54]. Researchers have linked the stories to persuasion [55]. The shared sto-
ries about particular things or events are a collective source of knowledge and infor-
mation [55]. Stories (i.e., storytelling content) build a potential sharing network amongst
the individuals. Storytelling content works for a brand to help build awareness, empa-
thy, comprehension, recall, and recognition and provides meaning [56]. Understanding
how storytelling works in marketing is essential to understanding how the audience
processes information in a story format. Past studies suggest that audiences think in nar-
rative rather than argumentative terms [57]. Given previous research, it can be argued
that the execution-style of content in the form of a story may bring out more favorable
changes in the attitude of the audience.
Following the same approach as the context, we can say that storytelling content
creates a connection between the source and the listener. According to researcher [55],
the narratives of Instagram that are turned into stories make a memorable experience for
the audience; the word memorable here means storing, keeping, and recalling the in-
formation provided in the story. He further added that this information is then shared
with other individuals. So we can say that this way of representing the content in a story
helps the audience relate themselves to the influencer. Based on this theoretical ground-
ing, we propose the following hypothesis:
Hypothesis 3. Relatability plays a mediating role between storytelling content and audience en-
gagement.
2.8. Relatability and Trust
Trust refers to a general expectation and belief that most others have warm inten-
tions and can also be relied upon [58]. Trust has been seen in many dimensions of proso-
cial behavior, including civic engagement, collaboration, and volunteering [59]. The in-
fluencers need to develop a sense of trust with their followers in influencer marketing. A
brand message through an influencer is more effective than a message directly given by
a brand [13,47]. Trustworthiness has previously been proved to affect brand equity [60]
significantly. Any consumer, online or offline, wants to develop trust with their potential
dealer first [61]. A previous study found that if consumers do not find trustworthy con-
tent in an online store, they will not consider it [59]. Instagram influencers now have
started to try the products on themselves first, and during that, they make live videos of
it. This visual depiction of the product helps in gaining trust. We know that the user’s at-
titude towards the content changes according to the trust he/she has in the source [62].
Information 2022, 13, 345 6 of 19
An influencer’s expertise and trustworthiness have been proved to influence brand equi-
ty [60]. Trustworthiness is closely associated with honesty, which means if the follower
is confident enough in the influencer [63–65]. Trust is essential in relations with some-
one, as it improves efficiency, increases flexibility, and helps long-term relationships be-
tween the two parties [6,7]. Based on the above theoretical grounding, we suggest that
feeling related to the influencer will build more trust between the influencer and its au-
dience. Thus, we hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 4. Relatability is positively associated with trust.
2.9. Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement: Trust as a Mediator
According to Henry Jenkins, an American scholar, storytelling is a new way of pre-
senting stories using different methods, media, and viewpoints [66,]. In prior studies
[67], most of the content a human sees is stored in their consciousness, mainly associated
with short stories. The emotional areas of a human body activate when something ver-
bally is described [68]. Whereas, the content created visually grabs more attention [66].
The consumers (i.e., audience in our case) expect a company or the source to tell clear
and concise information regarding a brand; they also expect that it should be honest [66].
Previous research on the effectiveness of storytelling has shown that narrative advertis-
ing generates higher awareness, higher commitment to the content, and higher purchase
intention [69–71]. While developing the storytelling cycle of trust, it was suggested that
the storyteller should genuinely represent the stakeholders [72]. Initially, Lambert (2006)
came up with the circle of trust concerning digital storytelling, where he highlighted that
storytelling gives an in-the-moment experience to the audience.
Further, he added that a story circle provides a safe space for people. Trust between
two parties epitomizes the overall feelings, attitudes, and evaluations of each individual
involved in the relationship [73]. The prior study suggested that customer engagement
helps build a relationship of trust and commitment between a seller and the buyer [73].
There will be more customer (i.e., audience) engagement if there is higher attachment.
Thus, based on this, it is anticipated that with trust between two parties (an influencer
and the audience), the relationship between storytelling content and audience engage-
ment is mediated. This relationship has been developed through the help of commit-
ment trust theory [74] which states that trust plays a vital role in an ongoing relationship
as it develops a cooperative environment between the two parties (influencer and Insta-
gram user). So, we hypothesize the following:
Hypothesis 5. Trust mediates between storytelling content and audience engagement.
2.10. Trust and Audience Engagement
The audience is increasingly skeptical about advertising and other communications
methods [75]. Influencers now look for ways that can engage the maximum audience.
Content marketing fosters engagement, brand awareness, and trust [76]. Previous stud-
ies highlighted that engagement was initially the concept of human resource manage-
ment that was used to enhance employee loyalty [77]. However, researchers have now
started to take this concept of customer (i.e., audience) engagement into the marketing
context [73]. A study [78] stated that trust could be an antecedent of consumer (i.e., au-
dience) engagement. The social exchange theory explains that a trust relationship devel-
ops over time when two parties exchange favorable experiences [77,78]. Concerning
marketing literature, it has been proposed that the positive interactions between two
parties build trust [79,80]. Prior studies have found that trust is an essential mediator be-
tween loyalty and customer engagement in hospitality [79]. In earlier studies, we have
seen that trust has played a significant role in representing consumer engagement in
many different fields. Still, we, in the context of influencer marketing, propose the fol-
lowing hypothesis:
Information 2022, 13, 345 7 of 19
Hypothesis 6. Trust is positively associated with audience engagement.
2.11. Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement via Relatability and Trust
According to [81], the psychological connection lets the audience engage with the
source, and then they become loyal to the brand/source. Researchers [82] state that one
of the purposes of storytelling is to develop trust and engage the customers [83]. The
prior study explains that it is essential to integrate customer resources to develop cus-
tomer (i.e., audience in our case) engagement [84]. Digital platforms, such as Instagram
and Facebook, have shown a positive effect on audience engagement due to deeper cog-
nitive processing, interactivity, and the longer attention given by the consumers to the
content [85]. The engagement of audiences occurs when a relationship is formed based
on commitment and trust [86]. While selling something, there has to be a proper process
of developing the message with the stories that show how the brand connects with the
consumer in an authentic, relatable, and engaging way [87].
Since millennials have the highest levels of contribution on social media platforms and
while creating content, it was suggested that millennials prefer storytelling over the straight-
sell method. We presume that through the storytelling content, the audience (millennials)
can relate more to the influencer, which helps build the trust between the two parties. Fur-
ther, it improves audience engagement.
So we hypothesize:
Hypothesis 7. Relatability and trust mediate between storytelling content and customer engagement.
According to [88], the framework is a conceptual model that details the relationship
between different theories. This study aimed to analyze the impact of STC on AE via re-
latability and trust. In this research, there are four variables studied as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Research framework.
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Conceptual Definitions of Study Variables
Audience engagement is the dependent variable in our current study. It is defined
as “the extent to which the audience faces emotional, cognitive or affective experiences
with the media content” [27]. Storytelling content is the independent variable in the pre-
sent study. It is “the facts conveyed by emotion that make people more engaged and
want to take action or change their surroundings” [21]. It can also be referred to as any
story containing “a beginning, a middle and an ending plot” [89]. In our study, relatabil-
ity and trust both play the role of mediators. Relatability links the independent variable
(storytelling content) with the dependent variable (audience engagement). Relatability is
“ the extent to which a person feels that one is connected to others, has caring relation-
ships, and belongs to a community” [90]. Trust is the second mediator in our sequential
Storytelling
Content
Relatability
Trust
Audience
Engagement
H1
H2
H3
H4
H5
H6
Information 2022, 13, 345 8 of 19
model, which refers to “a general expectation and belief that most others have warm in-
tentions for you and can also be relied upon [91].
3.2. Participants and Procedure
The questions were developed on a 5-point Likert scale which ranged from 5
(strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). The questionnaires are more convenient than
the interviews (Bryman and Bell, 2015). Hence, a questionnaire was designed and in-
cluded the items to measure storytelling content, relatability, trust, and audience en-
gagement. We chose closed questions for survey because coding is more accessible than
open-ended ones [91]. The unit of analysis was Instagram users born after the 1980s who
use Instagram daily. This study was conducted to determine the impact of the inde-
pendent variable on the dependent variable, the storytelling content (X), on audience
engagement (Y) via relatability (Mediator 1), and trust (Mediator 2). Then, the time hori-
zon is used in cross-sectional because the data have been collected at one point in time.
A cross-sectional study is relatively quick to conduct. y. The unit of analysis was the
regular users of Instagram, a social media platform.
Our present study adopts a non-experimental, quantitative, and correlational de-
sign to meet the research objectives. For this study, a convenience non-probability sam-
pling technique was used. We recruited 350 millennial Instagram users through direct
links. The questionnaires were presented in Google Forms and distributed in some uni-
versities. There was no interference from the researcher besides clarifying items for the
respondents. The study purpose was also explained to the respondents in the beginning.
So, it would be correct to say that the study was utterly non-contrived as the responses
were taken in a routine. This study is cross-sectional because the data have been collect-
ed at one point in time. Additionally, we can research multiple outcomes at once. The
unit of analysis was the regular users of Instagram, a social media platform.
Scholars [92] claim a sampling size should be made before collecting the data. Kline
[93] and Field [94] suggested that there should be 10 respondents against each item in
the questionnaire (that means; the No. of items in the questionnaire multiplied by 10 re-
spondents from the targeted population). Our survey had 18 items, so the sample size of
180 participants was sufficient. However, we distributed around 350 questionnaires, out
of which 273 were completed, and the rest had missing data.
The questionnaire was in English, and all questions were closed questions. The first
section comprises personal information, including age, education, and gender. The sec-
ond section contained 3 items of storytelling content. The third section consisted of 3
items related to relatability. The third section also included 4 items. Furthermore, the last
section covered 3 items on audience engagement.
A questionnaire is defined as “a formalized set of questions for obtaining infor-
mation from respondents” [95]. The primary data were collected through a self-
administered questionnaire from Instagram users aged below 40. The questionnaires
were made in Google Forms and Microsoft Word and distributed through social media
sites, such as Instagram and Facebook. The questionnaires were also distributed in person
too in different colleges. Due to the closed questions, it became easier to code the responses.
As soon as the data were collected, it was input into an Excel sheet. It is important
to code the responses [92]. Researcher [95] emphasized that assigning a code to each
possible answer is essential. The participants were already told about the objectives of
this study, and they was assured that this information would stay confidential and only
be used for academic and research purposes.
3.3. Measurement and Scales
3.3.1. Storytelling Content
A five-point scale was employed for measuring storytelling content, which had an
internal consistency of 0.76 [96]. In the items, “stories” were replaced by “storytelling
Information 2022, 13, 345 9 of 19
content”; for example: “storytelling content caught my attention” and “The storytelling
content creates insights/new ideas for me today”. The participants indicated their desire
using a five-point Likert scale, with 5 = strongly agree and 1 = strongly disagree. The
scale is reported in Appendix A
3.3.2. Relatability
A five-item scale was used to measure how relatable users of Instagram feel to sto-
rytelling content created by influencers [97]. For example, “I think that constant updates
about the influencer’s life on his or her social media channels are important” and “I feel
like I know the influencer well.” The scale is reported in Appendix A. The participants
indicated their desire using a five-point Likert scale with 5 = strongly agree and 1 =
strongly disagree. The internal consistency for the measure was 0.71.
3.3.3. Trust
The Trust scale was adopted from researchers [97] and measured with a five-Likert
scale. The items included, “I think the influencer shares their honest opinion”, “I trust
the influencer’s messages more than one coming directly from a brand.” The scale is re-
ported in Appendix A. The participants indicated their desire using a five-point Likert
scale with 5 = strongly agree and 1 = strongly disagree. The internal consistency for the
me7sure was 0.85.
3.3.4. Audience Engagement
The audience engagement scale was adopted and modified [98, 99] and and meas-
ured with a five-point Likert scale. For example, “Any storytelling content grabs my at-
tention” and “When interacting with the content, it is difficult to detach myself.” The
scale is reported in Appendix A. The participants indicated their desire using a five-
point Likert scale with 5 = strongly agree and 1 = strongly disagree. The internal con-
sistency for the measure was 0.74.
3.3.5. Control Variables
The controlled variable included: gender (female = 1, male = 2), education level (1 =
matric/O level, 2 = Intermediate/A level, 3 = Baccalaureate, 4 = Masters and 5= PhD), and
age (1 = 15–20 years, 2 = 21–25 years, 3 = 26–30 years, 4 = 31–34, and 5 = 35–40 years).
Since the questionnaires were to be filled by the millennials, we had to ensure that age
was controlled. It was also important to keep gender as a control variable because our
study wanted to know if the responses of males were different from the females. Lastly,
collecting education data was important as each educational level exhibits different atti-
tudes and behaviors.
4. Results
This section covers the results, statistical analyses, interpretations, and explanations
of the relationship between study variables. The analysis was conducted on SPSS Statis-
tics (version 24.0 IBM® Corp). Both descriptive and inferential statistics are used to ex-
plain the findings. This study’s main objective was to determine the impact of storytell-
ing content (IV) on audience engagement (DV). To mediate these two variables, we an-
ticipated that relatability and trust could play a role in influencing our dependent and
independent variables. Hence, there are seven main findings of the present research.
Information 2022, 13, 345 10 of 19
4.1. Descriptive Analysis of Participants’ Characteristics
A total of 273 millennial Instagram users participated in the survey. In total, 300
participants took part in the survey, but 27 of the responses had some missing data. The
findings demonstrated that the majority of the respondents were females, with a per-
centage of 91.6%. In contrast, approximately one-eighth of the participants were males
(8.4%). About 49.5% of them were aged between 21 and 25; 13.6% of the participants
were aged between 15 and 20; 17.6% came were aged between 26 and 30; and 13.2% of the
respondents were between the age of 31 and 34. The majority of the participants were grad-
uates, i.e., 48.4%.
4.2. Descriptive Statistics of the Study Variables
The five-point Likert scale was used to assess the variables. The findings show that
all the studied variables have a minimum range of responses, i.e., between 1.00 to 1.6
whereas the maximum value is 5.00. The mean value ranged from 3.24 to 3.68, while the
standard deviations of responses lie between 0.69 and 0.83. Storytelling content had a
mean = 3.68 and SD = 0.69, implying that Instagram users do find storytelling content
engaging. Relatability items resulted in mean = 3.33 and SD = 0.73, proposing that study
participants feel more relatable with the content and eventually gain trust and become
more engaged. Furthermore, Trust items produced mean = 3.24 and SD = 0.83, which
shows that the users trust the storytelling content and become engaged with the content
shown. Finally, Audience Engagement items reported mean = 3.46 and SD = 0.71, exhib-
iting that users become more invested due to the storytelling content produced.
4.3. Measurement Validation
To check internal consistency and reliability between items of each construct, we
computed Cronbach’s alpha values. An alpha value is considered “very good” if it is
near 0.80, whereas a 0.70 is considered adequate [93]. The results have shown that all the
variables have internal consistency of 71% to 85%. Hence, there’s no reliability issue in
our data.
Table 1 shows the reliability test results for the present study, and Cronbach’s α for
all variables’ scales has met the threshold value, ranging from 0.71 to 0.85.
Table 1. Reliability of scales.
Study Variables
# of Items
Cronbach’s α Value
1. Storytelling Content
3
0.76
2. Relatability
3
0.71
3. Trust
4
0.85
4. Audience Engagement
3
0.74
4.4. Correlation Matrix
Before testing the hypotheses, a correlation analysis of our study variables was per-
formed. Since all our variables are nominal, the most suitable correlation model for the
examination is Spearman’s correlation coefficient, which shows the statistical depend-
ence between the ranking of two variables. This is also known as bivariate correlation.
Table 2 displays the mean, standard deviation (SD), Cronbach alpha’s, and correlation
values. The results show that items of each variable are positively correlated and support
our study hypotheses. The result exhibits that Storytelling Content has a significant and posi-
tive relationship with Audience Engagement (r = 0.47, p < 0.01), according to our H1.
Furthermore, Storytelling Content and Relatability results are also positively asso-
ciated with each other (r = 0.27, p< 0.01), which supports H2. The relationship between
Relatability and Trust shows a positive correlation with a significant value of <0.05, and
Information 2022, 13, 345 11 of 19
Trust and Audience Engagement have a positive and significant relationship (r = 0.55, p
< 0.01). Both these outcomes are in accordance with H3 and H4.
Table 2. Mean, standard deviations, and correlations for the study.
Variables
Mean
SD
1
2
3
4
1. Storytelling Content
3.68
0.79
1
2. Relatability
3.43
0.72
0.275 **
1
3. Audience Engagement
3.60
0.77
0.47 **
0.45 **
1
4. Trust
3.22
0.83
0.42 **
0.44 **
0.55 **
1
Note: n = 273, Cronbach’s alphas are on the diagonal in parentheses **. Correlation is significant at
the 0.01 level (2—tailed).
4.5. Exploratory Factor Analysis
EFA and CFA are the tests used to identify variables’ data patterns and factor struc-
ture. Before conducting CFA, we ran EFA using SPSS Statistics 24 to see the structure of
factors. The Kaiser–Meye–Olkin (KMO) gave a statistical value of 0.85, indicating the
appropriateness of the factor analysis for the data. The value of 0.85 confirms that the
sample taken was enough for the factor analysis. The acceptable value of KMO is 0.6 and
above (Kaiser, 1970, 1974). The Barlett’s test of sphericity shows a significance value <
0.05, which indicates that the correlations were of a large number for EFA. The com-
monalities explain the amount of variance a variable has with all other study variables.
All the communalities range from 0.60 to 0.70, confirming that each item shared some
common variance with other items (see Table 3). All the above indices supported the in-
clusion of 13 items in factor analysis.
Table 3. Rotated component matrix.
1
2
3
4
T2
0.829
T3
0.803
T4
0.769
T1
0.729
SC4
0.789
SC5
0.782
SC1
0.753
AE5
0.755
AE4
0.742
AE3
0.675
RT3
0.806
RT2
0.761
RT4
0.760
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization a
a Rotation converged in 5 iterations.
The initial Eigenvalues Results showed that the first of the four factors had an Ei-
genvalue above 1, and they account for 38.38%, 11.54%, 10.72%, and 8.02% of the total
variance, respectively. The 5th onwards until the 13th component had eigenvalue below
one, and all explained variance less than 5%. All the items in this analysis had fair load-
ings above the absolute value of 0.60. The first of the 4 items were loaded on the first fac-
tor, which represents Trust; the following 3 items were loaded on the second factor,
which means Storytelling Content; then the following 3 items were loaded on the third
factor, which represents Audience Engagement; and the last 3 items were loaded on the
Information 2022, 13, 345 12 of 19
fourth factor, which represents Relatability. The results demonstrate that each item is
linked to the expected factor structure. Table 3 shows the factor loading matrix for the final
solution.
4.6. Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed on all the items. The overall CFA
measurement showed a satisfactory model fit to the data. At first, the four-factor meas-
urement model was examined. To fulfill this purpose, we drew all the items related to
the four study variables in AMOS 24 and then allowed the items to correlate freely to
their respective factors. The results of Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI), Incremental Fit Index
(IFI), and Confirmatory Fit Index (CFI) were all >0.90 ; TLI = 0.94, IFI = 0.96, and CFI = 0.96,
whereas AGFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.056; all of these indices fall within a satisfactory limit.
Furthermore, construct validity was evaluated with the help of convergent and dis-
criminant validity. For convergent validity factor loadings, composite reliability and av-
erage variance need to be assessed. Table 4 shows the factor loadings.
Table 4. Factor loadings.
Variables
No. of Items
Factor Loadings
Trust
4
0.82
0.80
0.76
0.72
Storytelling Content
3
0.78
0.78
0.72
Audience Engagement
4
0.75
0.75
0.67
Relatability
3
0.80
0.76
0.76
The results indicated that all the factor loadings for all the variables were greater
than 0.60. Moreover, all values have CR greater than 0.7. Researchers [100] argue that
AVE is often too strict, and reliability alone can be established through CR. Therefore,
the results are fulfilling the criteria for convergent validity.
Finally, discriminant validity was also assessed by the Fornell and Larcker ap-
proach [101], which declared that the square root of AVE of each construct should be
greater than the correlations of this construct to all other constructs. Table 5 demon-
strates the square root of AVE in bold and diagonal elements.
Table 5. Overall reliability and validity of the constructs.
Convergent Validity
Discriminant Validity
#
Constructs
CR
1
2
3
4
1.
STC
0.77
0.72
2.
Relatability
0.73
0.38 ***
0.69
3.
Trust
0.85
0.50 ***
0.43 ***
0.77
4.
AE
0.74
0.61 ***
0.47 ***
0.69 ***
0.70
Note: *** denotes a significance level of 0.001.
4.7. Hypotheses Testing
The study hypotheses were tested through a sequential mediation model. We used
SPSS Process (model 6). Bootstrap was performed for resampling, which was 5000 in
number. The total effect of STC on AE was positive and significant (β = 0.46, t = 8.78, p <
0.001), providing support for our hypothesis 1, as shown in Table 6. The results of model
1 indicate that relatability and storytelling content are significantly related (β = 0.25, p =
0.000, LLCI = 0.146, ULCI = 0.357). In the second model, the impact of two predictors was
seen as significant on trust. The significance value for both was p = 0.000, which shows
that the relationships were significant, as shown in Table 6. Finally, Table 7 shows that
all the indirect paths are also significant as LLCI and ULCI do not contain zero. Hence,
all the hypotheses are empirically supported in this study (see Tables 6 and 7).
Information 2022, 13, 345 13 of 19
Table 6. Results of sequential mediation regressing relatability and trust as mediation.
Direct Effect Model
Outcome = M(Relatability)
Predictor
Β
SE
T
p
X(STC)
0.252
0.053
4.70
0.000
Direct Effect Model
Outcome = M(Trust)
Predictor
β
SE
t
p
X(STC)
0.346
0.056
6.17
0.000
M(Relatability)
0.403
0.061
6.59
0.000
Direct Effect Model
Outcome = Y (Audience Engagement)
Predictor
β
SE
t
p
X (STC)
0.256
0.050
5.063
0.000
RT(M1)
0.250
0.055
4.506
0.000
TR(M2)
0.317
0.051
6.197
0.000
Total Effect
Outcome = Y (Audience Engagement)
constant
β
SE
t
p
X(STC)
1.90
0.462
0.052
8.786
0.000
Bootstrap Results for Indirect Effect of X on Y
M
SE
LL 95% CI
UL 95% CI
Total
0.205
0.040
0.130
0.292
Note: n = 273; β = Unstandardized Regression Coefficient; SE = Standard Error; Bootstrap Sample
Size = 5000; LL = Lower Limit; CI = Confidence Interval; UL = Upper Limit.
Table 7. Indirect effect of X(STC) on Y(AE).
Indirect Paths
Effect
BootLLCI
BootULCI
Relatability mediates the relationship between STC and AE
0.063
0.026
0.107
Trust mediates STC and AE
0.110
0.058
0.178
Relatability and Trust mediates the relationship between STC and AE
0.032
0.012
0.061
5. Discussion and Conclusion
5.1. Discussion
As social media progresses and almost everything has become digital, millennials
depend on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. Before
buying anything for themselves, they see the views given by digital influencers on their
Instagram blogs. Some influencers post an advertisement in a still post, while others
make content in the form of a story. This study’s main objective was to determine the
impact of storytelling content (IV) on audience engagement (DV). To mediate these two
variables, we anticipated that relatability and trust could play a role in influencing our
dependent and independent variables. Hence, there are seven main findings of the pre-
sent research. The discussion of our results is as follows:
In Hypothesis 1, our results positively influenced our dependent (Audience En-
gagement) and independent variables (Storytelling Content). Storytelling Content is an
exclusively human activity that is often used to stimulate memory and imagination in
people [102]. Consequently, anything shared in the form of a story simplifies the com-
plexity of the content [103], resulting in a more engaged audience. Hypothesis 2 dis-
closed that Storytelling Content has a positive impact on Relatability. Previous studies
have explained that digital storytelling builds strong consumer relationship experiences
[104].
Information 2022, 13, 345 14 of 19
According to [49], generation Z has an 8 s attention span towards any content, so
the content must be very relatable to them to experience a positive outcome. Our results
show that millennials feel relatable when they see storytelling content. Supporting hy-
pothesis 3, the results indicated that Relatability mediates the relationship between Sto-
rytelling Content and Audience Engagement. The content is considered relatable if it is
easily understood and jargon-free [45]. When the source (i.e., Storytelling Content) is rel-
evant, there is a bond between a source provider and the viewer [46].
The result of hypothesis 4 disclosed that Relatability positively impacts Trust. It
was found that millennials are prone to value someone else’s opinion who is more cred-
ible [105]. It was found that this generation pushes their boundaries to seek a connection
with someone. So the results align with the previous findings linking Relatability and
Trust positively. In Hypothesis 5, the results demonstrated that Trust mediates the rela-
tionship between Storytelling Content and Audience Engagement. According to com-
mitment–trust theory, companies or brands hire influencers to promote their products to
build positive relationships of trust by fostering customer engagement [76]. Moreover,
content in the form of a story creates a positive consumer attitude [106]. Therefore, trust
can be regarded as the mediator between the independent and dependent variables.
In line with Hypothesis 6, our current study found a positive influence of Trust on
Audience Engagement. The results suggested that if there is a relationship of trust be-
tween the influencer and the Instagram user (millennial), they (the audience) will be
more engaged in the content. Lastly, our findings favor the serial mediation model (hypoth-
esis 7), showing that the indirect impact of Storytelling Content on Audience Engagement
through Relatability and Trust exists. Storytelling Content is more relatable and develops
Trust between the influencer and the follower, resulting in more Audience Engagement.
5.2. Theoretical Contribution
This research contributes to the academic field by adding a newer concept to the
current work. Influencer marketing is currently a much-hyped concept [107]. Previous
research has shown that Facebook wall posts are less effective than Instagram stories’ in
promoting something [2]. Very few studies have explored the impact of storytelling con-
tent on the audience with a target market of millennials only. This study investigates
whether storytelling content is an essential antecedent of audience engagement to ad-
dress this gap. This study is among the first to explore this relationship. Hence, our
study broadens the research on audience engagement and storytelling content.
Our study shows that storytelling content is closely associated with relatability,
trust, and audience engagement. So the influencers and the brands should make sure
that the content they are making for the consumers should be a story because this helps
the millennials relate to the content and the influencer and builds a trust relationship,
which results in a higher audience engagement. Our study extends the existing audience
engagement literature by including relatability and trust as essential conditions. Previ-
ous studies have seen the aspects of audience engagement with an entertainment piece
[108]. In our research, audience engagement has been seen from a different dimension.
Our study also extends the existing storytelling literature by including relatability
and trust as mediators in the model to impact audience engagement. Drawing on our
findings, it can be deduced that relatability and trust between the influencers and their
followers can increase audience engagement. This suggests that the strong positive asso-
ciation between storytelling content and audience engagement through the mediators, i.e.,
relatability and trust, can positively change influencer marketing. To the best of our
knowledge, the current study is the first one to find the mentioned relationships empirically.
5.3. Practical Implications
Since the first online ad appeared, online advertising has taken many steps forward
to more interactive and new formats while considering individuals’ preferences. A con-
siderable number of advertising options have declined, and social media platforms have
Information 2022, 13, 345 15 of 19
been booming. In this context, our study can help firms, advertisers, digital influencers,
and community managers succeed on Instagram’s most important social media platform.
First, our results show that storytelling content on Instagram helps engage with the
Instagram audience. Professionals should record that users exposed to the content pre-
sented as a story tend to generate a positive outcome from the audience. The ephemeral,
interactive, and dynamic Instagram storytelling content could be very effective when
looking for sales, or some issue needs to be addressed. Our studies show that users find
the STC made by the influencers attractive hence it can help achieve the objectives of the
influencers and the brands/firms. Previous research has shown that Instagram stories are
more popular than Facebook’s wall posts [2] so we can say that our study is in line with
the previous findings. Therefore, when planning to promote their products or services,
professionals should remember that influencers’ content is more relatable and is trusted
by the audience than by promoting it through TV ads and celebrities. Our study also
highlights the power of influencer marketing as an inspirational and informational
source for marketing planning. Celebrity endorsement can still be a reliable strategy to
promote products and services. However, to reach out to millennials who prefer to en-
gage with the brand on Instagram, the digital influencers should start working more on
their stories’ content.
5.4. Limitations and Future Research Studies
Regardless of the novel contribution of this current study, it has a few limitations
that open up new paths for future research. Firstly, our research design does not control
a specific type of storytelling content on Instagram. Although the results showed that
this type of content is thought to be relatable to the millennial, if a few more dimensions
were added, the results could have been affected by additional factors, such as focusing
on the types of storytelling content. Furthermore, research should be replicated in lab
settings and with a probabilistic sample design. Second, we have just studied the Insta-
gram platform, the most popular social media platform among millennials. Adding
more platforms could help corroborate our hypotheses in different circumstances. Un-
doubtedly, further measures should be integrated to understand better which platform
is most effective when an advertiser has to advertise something or when an influencer
has to make content. Thirdly, more detailed research can be conducted into Instagram
users’ profile characteristics, which might help advertisers examine the demographic
factors presented in this study and other personal factors. Fourth, these are not general-
ized results as most of the respondents were females unintentionally. Future research
can keep a quote for both males and females to eliminate response biases. The present
study may be subject to common method biases as data were collected at one point in
time. Future studies may use the time-lagged study design to elevate the common meth-
od biases. Finally, a longitudinal study can be designed to examine the evolution of sto-
rytelling content on Instagram, which might help researchers and academics better un-
derstand how changes in the content can affect the audience’s engagement.
5.5. Conclusions
This research concludes that if the content (an advertisement, self-promotion, paid
promotion, etc.) is created in the form of a story with the help of the “stories” feature of
Instagram, the millennial audience will be more engaged. Any issue, any brand, any sort
of awareness, topics such as human rights and women empowerment, sustainability is-
sues, green marketing, etc., can be promoted through storytelling content made by In-
stagram influencers. Our results confirm that the more dynamic social media formats
(i.e., Instagram stories) enhance users’ attitudes towards that content. This result is con-
sistent with the previous studies that associate creative strategies with audience en-
gagement, precisely dynamic visual messaging. In addition, this outcome is in line with our
assumption about relatability and trust factors, which helps users to show favorable atti-
tudes towards the content. Our research found that STC positively impacts relatability and
Information 2022, 13, 345 16 of 19
trust, which means that the millennial user feels more relatable to the content made through
the “stories” feature, which helps them to trust. We all know that influencer marketing has
evolved in the past few years. So, our empirical findings will help develop this field more.
STC can offer a competitive advantage in influencer marketing, primarily as the concern has
grown globally for sustainable development in society, economies, and the environment.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.A. and G.A.; methodology, M.A. and G.A.; software,
M.A.; validation, G.A., A.A. and M.F.I.; formal analysis, M.A.; investigation, M.A.; resources, M.A. and
G.A.; data curation, M.A.; writing—original draft preparation, M.A.; writing—review and editing, G.A.,
A.A., and M.F.I.; visualization, A.A. and M.F.I.; supervision, G.A.; project administration, M.A., G.A.,
A.A., and M.F.I.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Appendix A
Questionnaire
Storytelling Content
Storytelling content catches my attention
I believe I will remember some of these content
The storytelling content created new ideas for me
Relatability
I think it is important that the influencer interacts with their followers
I think the influencer’s opinions are similar to mine
I feel like I know the influencer well
Trust
I trust the influencer’s opinion
I think the influencer shares his/her honest opinion
I trust the influencer’s knowledge about the product/service he/she endorses
I trust the influencer’s messages more than one coming from a brand
Audience Engagement
Any storytelling content grabs my attention
In general, I thoroughly enjoy exchanging ideas with other users
When interacting with the content, it is difficult for me to detach myself
References
1 Laor, T. My social network: Group differences in frequency of use, active use, and interactive use on Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter. Technol. Soc. 2022, 68, 101922.
2 Belanche, D.; Cenjor, I.; Pérez-Rueda, A. Instagram stories versus Facebook wall: An advertising effectiveness analysis. Span.
J. Mark. 2019, 3, 69–94.
3 Sheldon, P.; Bryant, K. Instagram: Motives for its use and relationship to narcissism and contextual age. Comput. Hum. Behav.
2016, 58, 89–97.
4 Tomoson. Available online: https://www.tomoson.com/blog/influencer-marketing-study/ (accessed on 29 March 2022).
5 Shareef, M.A.; Mukerji, B.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Rana, N.P.; Islam, R. Social media marketing: Comparative effect of advertisement
sources. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 2019, 46, 58–69.
6 Chen, S.C.; Dhillon, G.S. Interpreting Dimensions of Consumer Trust in E-Commerce. Inf. Technol. Manag. 2003, 4, 303–318.
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022962631249.
7 Nooteboom, B; Six, F. The Trust Process in Organizations: Empirical Studies of the Determinants and the Process of Trust Develop-
ment; Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Cheltenham, UK, 2003; pp. 16–36.
8 Spiller, L.D. Story-selling: Creating and sharing authentic stories that persuade. J. Adv. Mark. Educ. 2018, 26, 11–17.
9 Mukherjee, A.; Nath, P. Role of electronic trust in online retailing: A re-examination of the commitment-trust theory. Eur. J.
Mark. 2007, 41, 1173–1202.
Information 2022, 13, 345 17 of 19
10 Abidin, C. “Aren’t These Just Young, Rich Women Doing Vain Things Online?”: Influencer Selfies as Subversive Frivolity.
Soc. Media Soc. 2016, 2,1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305116641342.
11 Ryan, R.M.; Deci, E.L. Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness; The Guilford
Press: New York, NY, USA, 2017.
12 Baumeister, R.F.; Leary, M.R. The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.
Psychol. Bulletin 1995, 117, 497–529.
13 De Veirman, M.; Cauberghe, V.; Hudders, L. Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers
and product divergence on brand attitude. Int. J. Advert. 2017, 36, 798–828.
14 Leeflang, P.S.H.; de Vries, L.; Gensler, S. Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social
media marketing. J. Interact. Mark. 2012, 26, 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.01.003.
15 Quercia, D.; Ellis, J.; Capra, L.; Crowcroft, J. In the mood for being influential on Twitter. In Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE Inter-
national Conference on Social Computing, MIT, Boston, MA, USA, 9–11 October 2011.
16 Goldsmith, R.E.; Clark, R.A. An analysis of factors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking. J. Fash.
Mark. Manag. 2008, 12, 308–322. https://doi.org/10.1108/13612020810889272.
17 Dodds, P.S.; Watts, D.J.; Influentials, networks, and public opinion formation. J. Consum. Res. 2007, 34, 441–458.
https://doi.org/10.1086/518527.
18 Dean, B. Available online: https://backlinko.com/instagram-users (accessed on 25 March 2022).
19 Miller, H.J.; Thebault-Spieker, J.; Chang, S.; Johnson, I.; Terveen, L.; Hecht, B. “Blissfully Happy” or “Ready to Fight”: Varying
Interpretations of Emoji. In Proceedings of the Tenth International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, Cologne,
Germany, 17–20 May 2016.
20 Herskovitz, S.; Crystal, M. The essential brand persona: Storytelling and branding. J. Bus. Strategy 2010, 31, 21–28.
21 Dickman, R. The four elements of every successful story. Reflect. -Soc. Organ. Learn. 2003, 4, 51–58.
22 Lambert, J. Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community, 4th ed.; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2006.
23 Chan, C.; Sage, M. A narrative review of digital storytelling for social work practice. J. Soc. Work Pr. 2019, 35, 63–77.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2019.1692804.
24 Coker, K.K.; Flight, R.L.; Baima, D.M. Skip it or view it: The role of video storytelling in social media marketing. Mark. Manag.
J. 2017, 27, 75–87.
25 Wang, M.; Jones, V.K. How Instagram Content Affects Brand Attitudes and Behavior. Fac. Publ. Coll. J. Mass Commun. 2017, 5,
175–188.
26 Gubrium, A. Digital storytelling: An emergent method for health promotion research and practice. Health Promot. Pract. 2009,
10, 186–191.
27 Broersma, M. Audience Engagement. In The International Encyclopedia of Journalism Studies; Vos, T.P., Hanusch, F., Dimi-
trakopoulou, D., Eds.; Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118841570.
28 Sabaté Gauxachs, A.; Micó Sanz, J.L.; Díez Bosch, M. Is the new new digital journalism a type of activism? An analysis of Jot
Down, Gatopardo and The New Yorker. Commun. Soc. 2019, 32, 173–191.
29 Coss, Y. Micro vs macro influencers: ¿cuál es el más indicado? Available online: https://blog.digimind.com/es/insight-driven-
marketing/micro-vs-macro-influencers-cual-es-el-mas-indicado (accessed on 15 April 2021).
30 Choo, Y.B.; Abdullah, T.; Nawi, A.M. Digital storytelling vs. Oral storytelling: An analysis of the art of telling stories now and
then. Univers. J. Educ. Res. 2020, 8, 46–50.
31 Steensen, S.; Ferrer-Conill, R.; Peters, C. Against a theory of audience engagement with news. J. Stud. 2020, 21, 1662–1680.
32 Duncan, M.C. Sports photographs and sexual difference: Images of women and men in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic games.
Sociol. Sport J. 1990, 7, 22–43.
33 Nielson, M. Why Visual Communication Is Taking Over the World. Available online:
https://www.gliffy.com/blog/2016/07/27/why-visual-communication-is-taking-over-the-world/ (accessed on 27 July 2021).
34 Fisher, W. Narration as human communication paradigm: The case of public moral argument. Commun. Monogr. 1984, 51, 1–22.
35 Johnson, R.G.; Romney, M. Life in black and white: Racial framing by sports networks on Instagram. J. Sports Media 2018, 13,
1–18.
36 Chatzara, E.; Kotsakis, R.; Tsipas, N.; Vrysis, L.; Dimoulas, C. Machine-Assisted Learning in Highly-Interdisciplinary Media
Fields: A Multimedia Guide on Modern Art. Educ. Sci. 2019, 9, 198.
37 Brehm, J.W. A Theory of Psychological Reactance; Academic Press: New York, NY, USA, 1966.
38 Mead, R. The Scourge of Relatability. Available online: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/scourge-
relatability (accessed on 6 April 2021).
39 Leary, M.R.; Baumeister, R.F. The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory. In Advances in Experimental Social
Psychology; Academic Press: New York, NY, USA, 2000; Volume 32, pp. 1–62.
40 Chahal, M. Marketing Week. Available online: https://www.marketingweek.com/four-trends-that-will-shape-media-in-2016/
(accessed on 2 February 2020).
41 Leon, G.; Schiffman, K.L. Consumer Behaviour, 2nd ed.; Pearson: New York, NY, USA, 2012.
42 Lewis, J.; Inthorn, S.; Wahl-Jorgensen, K. Citizens or Consumers?: What the Media Tell Us about Political Participation; Open Uni-
versity Press: Maidenhead, UK, 2005.
Information 2022, 13, 345 18 of 19
43 Knoll, J.; Schramm, H.; Schallhorn, C.; Wynistorf, S. Good guy vs. bad guy: The influence of parasocial interactions with me-
dia characters on brand placement effects. Int. J. Advert. 2015, 34, 720–743.
44 Ye, G.; Hudders, L.; De Jans, S.; De Veirman, M. The value of influencer marketing for business: A bibliometric analysis and
managerial implications. J. Advert. 2021, 50, 160–178.
45 Nandagiri, V. The impact of influencers from Instagram and Youtube on their. Int. J. Multidiscip. Res. Moderen Educ. 2018, 4
61–65.
46 Kelman, H.C. Processes of opinion change. Public Opin. Q. 1961, 25, 57–78.
47 Halvorsen, K.; Hoffmann, J.; Coste-Manière, I.; Stankeviciute, R. Can fashion blogs function as a marketing tool to influence
consumer behavior? Evidence from Norway. J. Glob. Fash. Mark. 2013, 4, 211–224.
48 Fishbein, M.; Yzer, M.C. Using theory to design effective health behavior interventions. Commun. Theory 2003, 13, 164–183.
49 Gausby, A. Microsoft Attention Spans Research Report. Available online: https://dl.motamem.org/microsoft-attention-spans-
research-report.pdf (accessed on 9 March 2021).
50 Ursu, M.F.; Zsombori, V.; Wyver, J.; Conrad, L.; Kegel, I.C.; Williams, D.L. Interactive documentaries: A Golden Age. Comput.
Entertain. 2009, 7, 1–27.
51 Kretchmar, R. S. Sport, fiction, and the stories they tell. J. Philos. Sport. 2017, 44, 55–71.
52 Polkinghorne, D.E. Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences; State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, USA, 1988.
53 Chatman, S. Öykü ve Söylem Filmde ve Kurmacada Anlatı Yapıs; De ki Publishing: Ankara, Turkey, 2008; Translated by Ö zgür
Yaren.
54 Green, M.C.; Clark, J.L. Transportation into narrative worlds: Implications for entertainment media influences on tobacco use.
Addiction 2013,108, 477–484.
55 Seyfi, M. Instagram stories from the perspective of narrative transportation theory. Turk. Online J. Des. Art Commun. 2017, 7,
47-60.
56 Singh, S.; Sonnenburg, S. Brand performances in social media. J. Interact. Mark. 2012, 26, 189–197.
57 Woodside, A.G.; Sood, S.; Miller, K.E. When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and
marketing. Psychol. Mark. 2008, 25, 97–145.
58 Rotter, J.B. A new scale for the measurement of interpersonal trust 1. J. Personal. 1967, 35, 651–665.
59 Yang, Y.; Guo, Z.; Kou, Y.; Liu, B. Linking self-compassion and prosocial behavior in adolescents: The mediating roles of re-
latedness and trust. Child Indic. Res. 2019, 12, 2035–2049.
60 Spry, A.; Pappu, R. Cornwell, B.T. Celebrity endorsement, brand credibility and brand equity. Eur. J. Mark. 2011, 45, 882–909.
61 Richard, B.; Gordon, B. Offline and Online brand trust models: Their Relevance to Social Media. J. Bus. Econ. 2015, 6, 102–112.
62 Zainal, N.T.A.; Harun, A.; Lily, J. Examining the mediating effect of attitude towards electronic words-of mouth (eWOM) on
the relation between the trust in eWOM source and intention to follow eWOM among Malaysian travellers. Asia Pac. Manag.
Rev. 2017, 22, 35–44.
63 Seno, D.; Lukas, B.A. The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co-branding
perspective. Eur. J. Mark. 2007, 41, 121–134.
64 Ohanian, R. Construction and Validation of a Scale to Measure Celebrity Endorsers’ Perceived Expertise, Trustworthiness,
and Attractiveness. J. Advert. 1990, 19, 39–52.
65 Ha, N.M.; Lam, N.H. The effects of celebrity endorsement on customer’s attitude toward brand and purchase intention. Int. J.
Econ. Financ. 2017, 9, 64–77.
66 Zatwarnicka-Madura, B.; Nowacki, R. Storytelling and its impact on effectiveness of advertising. In Proceedings of the 8th
International Conference on Management, Poland, Czestochowa, 7–8 June 2018; p. 694.
67 Kun, C.H.; Byueong-hyun, M.; Young, K.J. Analysis on Consumer Behavior Model for Storytelling Advertising of High-Tech
Products: Focusing on Identification and Empathic Response. Int. J. Appl. Bus. Econ. Res. 2017, 15, 285–294.
68 Wallentin, M.; Nielsen, A.H.; Vuust, P.; Dohn, A.; Roepstorff, A.; Lund, T.E. Amygdala and heart rate variability responses
from listening to emotionally intense parts of a story. NeuroImage 2011, 58, 963–973.
69 Hajdas M. Storytelling—Nowa koncepcja budowania wizerunku marki w epoce kreatywnej. Współczesne Zarządzanie 2011, 1,
116–123.
70 Matilla, A.S. The Role of Narratives in the Advertising of Experiential Services. J. Serv. Res. 2000, 3, 35–45.
71 Polyorat, K.; Alden, D.L.; Kim, E.S. Impact of Narrative versus Factual Print Ad Copy on Product Evaluation: The Mediating
Role of Ad Message Involvement. Psychol. Mark. 2007, 24, 539–554.
72 Moore, G.; Campbell, M.; Copeland, L.; Craig, P.; Movsisyan, A.; Hoddinott, P.; Evans, R. Adapting interventions to new con-
texts—The ADAPT guidance. BMJ 2021, 374, n1679.
73 Rather, R.A. Consequences of Consumer Engagement in Service Marketing: An Empirical Exploration. J. Glob. Mark. 2019, 32, 116–
135.
74 Morgan, R.M.; Hunt, S.D. The commitment trust theory of relationship marketing. J. Mark. 1994, 58, 20.
https://doi.org/10.2307/1252308.
75 Denning, J. Content Not Converting? Start with Your Buyer’s Journey. Available online:
https://www.authorityfactory.net/buyer-journey/ (accessed on: 3 April 2017).
76 Holliman, G.; Rowley, J. Business to Business Digital Content Marketing: Marketers’ Perceptions of Best Practice. J. Res. Inter-
act. Mark. 2014, 8, 269–293.
Information 2022, 13, 345 19 of 19
77 Saks, A.M. Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. J. Manag. Psychol. 2006, 21, 600–619.
https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940610690169.
78 Cropanzano, R.; Mitchell, M.S. Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. J. Manag. 2005, 31, 874–900.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602.
79 So, K.K.F.; King, C.; Sparks, B.; Wang, Y. The role of customer engagement in building consumer loyalty to tourism brands. J.
Travel Res. 2014, 55, 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514541008.
80 Sashi, C.M. Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media. Manag. Decis. 2012, 50, 253–272.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211203551.
81 Hapsari, R.; Clemes, M.D.; Dean, D. The impact of service quality, customer engagement and selected marketing constructs
on airline passenger loyalty. Int. J. Qual. Serv. Sci. 2017, 9, 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-07-2016-0048.
82 Robiady, N.D.; Windasari, N.A.; Nita, A. Customer engagement in online social crowdfunding: The influence of storytelling
technique on donation performance. Int. J. Res. Mark. 2020, 38, 492–500.
83 Linda, D.; Hollebeek, K.; Macky, D. Content Marketing’s Role in Fostering Consumer Engagement, Trust, and Value: Frame-
work, Fundamental Propositions, and Implications. J. Interact. Mark. 2019, 45, 27–41.
84 Hollebeek, L.D.; Glynn, M.S.; Brodie, R.J. Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development
and validation. J. Interact. Mark. 2014, 28, 149–165.
85 Patra, S.; Nebhinani, N.; Viswanathan, A.; Kirubakaran, R. Atomoxetine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children
and adolescents with autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res. 2019, 12, 542–552.
86 Gupta, S.; Kumar, V. Sustainability as corporate culture of a brand for superior performance. J. World Bus. 2013, 48, 311–320.
87 Hyne, K. How brands can create a compelling sales proposition through storytelling. J. Brand Strat. 2018, 7, 48–53.
88 Brynjolfsson, E.; Saunders, A. Wired for Innovation: How Information Technology is Reshaping the Economy; The MIT Press: Cam-
bridge, MA, USA, 2009.
89 Richardson, B. Narrative Dynamics: Essays on Time, Plot, Closure, and Frames; Phalen, J., Rabinowitz, P., Eds.; The Ohio State
University Press: Columbus, OH, USA, 2002.
90 Martela, F. and Riekki, T.J. Autonomy, competence, relatedness, and beneficence: A multicultural comparison of the four
pathways to meaningful work. Front. Psychol., 2018, 9, 1157.
91 Bryman, A.; Bell, E. Business Research Methods, 4th ed.; Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 2015.
92 Koran, J. Preliminary proactive sample size determination for confirmatory factor analysis models. Meas. Eval. Couns. Dev.
2016, 49, 296–308.
93 Kline, R.B. Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling, 4th ed.; Guilford Publications: New York, NY, USA, 2015.
94 Field, A. Discovering Statistics Using SPSS; Sage Publications: New York, NY, USA, 2013.
95 Malhotra, N.K. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6th ed.; Pearson Education: London, UK, 2020.
96 Eck, J.E. An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Storytelling with Adult Learners in Supervisory Management. Ph.D. Thesis, Uni-
versity of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI, USA, 2006.
97 Gunnarsson, L.; Folkestad, A.; Postnikova, A. Maybe Influencers Are Not Worth The Hype: An Explanatory Study on Influ-
encers’ Characteristics with Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty. Bachelor Thesis, Linnaeus University, 2018.
98 Rather, R. A., & Sharma, J. Customer engagement for evaluating customer relationships in hotel industry. Eur. J. Tour. Res.
2017, 8, 1-13.
99 So, K. K. F., King, C., & Sparks, B. A. Customer engagement with tourism brands: Scale development and validation. J. Hosp.
Tour. Res. 2014, 38, 304-329.
100 Malhotra, N.K.; Dash, S. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6th ed.; Dorling Kindersley Pvt. Ltd.: New Delhi, India,
2011.
101 Fornell, C.; Larcker, D.F. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J. Mark.
Res. 1981, 18, 39–50.
102 D'Arrigo, F.P.; Robini, E.; Larentis, F.; Camargo, M.E.; Schmiedgen, P.; Garavan, T. Storytelling and innovative behavior: An
empirical study in a Brazilian group. Eur. J. Train. Dev. 2017, 41, 722–736.
103 Gargiulo, T.L. The Strategic Use of Stories in Organizational Communication and Learning; ME Sharpe: Armonk, NY, USA, 2005.
104 Pera, R.; Viglia, G. Exploring how video digital storytelling builds relationship experiences. Psychol. Mark. 2016, 33, 1142–1150.
105 Srivastava, A.; Dey, D.K.; Balaji, M.S. Drivers of brand credibility in consumer evaluation of global brands and domestic
brands in an emerging market context. J. Prod. Brand Manag. 2020, 29, 849–861.
106 Berne-Manero, C.; Marzo-Navarro, M. Exploring how influencer and relationship marketing serve corporate sustainability.
Sustainability 2020, 12, 4392.
107 Sudha, M.; Sheena, K. Impact of Influencers in Consumer Decision Process: The Fashion Industry. SCMS J. Indian Manag.
2017, 14, 14–30.
108 Scott, J.; Craig-Lees, M. Audience Engagement and its Effects on Product Placement Recognition. J. Promot. Manag. 2010, 16,
39–58.
