Influencers’ Relationships with Followers: The Role of Authenticity and Self-Disclosure in Fostering Parasocial Relationships and Engagement

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of influencers’ perceived authenticity as a mediator that underlies the relationship between self-disclosure and parasocial relationships. By surveying 310 Instagram users, this study tests a model that investigates the effect of self-disclosure, perceived authenticity and parasocial relationship on followers’ engagement with the post, with post value as a moderator. The findings indicate that self-disclosure affects parasocial relationships through perceived authenticity. In turn, parasocial relationships impact the extent to which Instagram users engage with the post. Moreover, perceived post value enhances the association between parasocial relationships and engagement with the post. The study advances our understanding of how parasocial relationships are shaped in social media platforms and highlights the central role of perceived authenticity in this process. It also offers insights about effective communication strategies for fostering influencers-followers’ relationships and increasing engagements.