Influencer identification and selection on social networking sites : an analysis on Instagram

The birth and diffusion of social media has changed the way firms engage their customers and develop marketing strategies. This phenomenon has received a great deal of attention from academics and practitioners interested in influencer marketing. This article contributes to the subject by exploring how various influencers act on Instagram and proposing different approaches for identifying and selecting influencers. It further discusses the relationships between different types of influencers, influencers' selection variables and firms' brand strategy before concluding with insights for practitioners. [Publisher's text].