Through in-depth interviews with 15 women in the United States, this pilot study contributes to filling the gap in scholarship on consumer perceptions of sponsored content posted by social media influencers (SMI). We found women may follow social media influencers because of prior topic interests, perceived relatability, and authenticity. Social exchange and relationship management theories do not sufficiently account for purchasing decisions despite negative views of consumers. We argue for a new theory called Influencer-Follower Relationship Management Theory.

中文翻译：

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＃赞助：消费者对社交媒体有影响力营销的见解

通过对美国15位女性的深入访谈，这项试点研究有助于填补有关社交媒体影响者（SMI）发布的消费者对赞助内容的消费者认知方面的奖学金空白。我们发现，由于先前的话题兴趣，感知的相对性和真实性，女性可能会跟随社交媒体的影响者。尽管消费者持消极看法，但社会交换和关系管理理论并未充分说明购买决策。我们主张一种新的理论，称为影响者-跟随者关系管理理论。