AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, SUPERB: How Influencers' High-Arousal Language Can Boost-Or Hurt-Engagement

The study explores the impact of language arousal on consumer engagement and trustworthiness perceptions of influencers. Companies are increasingly using social media influencers to promote their brands, but it is unclear why some posts receive more engagement than others. The study finds that micro influencers, seen as regular people, gain trust and engagement when using high-arousal language. However, macro influencers, who are perceived as advertising, experience a decrease in engagement when using high-arousal language. The negative effect can be mitigated if macro influencers offer more informative content or balance their messages. The study analyzed 20,923 Instagram-sponsored posts from 1,376 U.S. influencers and found that a 10% increase in arousal led to a 5.4% increase in engagement for micro influencers, but an 8.4% decrease for macro influencers. The findings also apply to TikTok, emphasizing the importance of aligning language arousal strategies with the type of influencer.