Färre är inte värre

Sammanfattning: Influencer marketing has become a hygiene factor in the marketing mix where companies to a greater extent rely on paid collaborations to reach higher sales. Despite the importance of influencer marketing, best practice is to pursue paid collaborations with big and expensive influencers, without knowing potential consequences. In this thesis, best practice is called into question - is higher likes and followers always better? Previous research shows that people's opinions are influenced by what others think. On Instagram, validation is expressed by the count of likes and followers. The signals of using micro vs macro influencers on Instagram have not yet been explored. Through a quantitative study, this thesis found that micro influencers generate higher purchase intention, positive emotions, and perceived effort. The mechanism responsible for this outcome is most likely the illusion of a friendship between the micro influencer and the follower. In order to support the allocation of marketing resources and effort, the study also found that new brands benefit from collaborating with micro influencers. On the contrary, established brands profit from collaborating with macro influencers where likes and followers are higher.