Nicholas Johnson

Unlike conventional celebrities or paid product endorsers, influencers tend to be viewed by their followers as trusted peers, says Juha Munnukka, a marketing researcher at Finland’s Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics. This is a big deal to advertisers, because there’s evidence that your peers — more so than strangers or celebs — can influence your interests and purchases. “A peer’s perceived similarity with the audience — their trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness — are the common aspects that affect their credibility,” Munnukka explains. This credibility translates to persuasiveness, his research has found.