International Journal of Economic Research

The present study aims to systematically understand the research literature available on Instagram influencers and their endorsement activities. Instagram was founded in 2010, and the study considers research done in the area of Instagram influencers till 2020. The study tries to understand the change in findings from the early years of the social media site to the end of the decade, and how the consumers and brands view the influencers. It is found that over the years, influencers have made firm ground parallel to celebrity endorsers on Instagram although in some countries celebrities still hold the edge. They rate higher on trustworthiness and credibility, and brands and influencers help each other in their journey in the digital media. Some studies show that influencers are shy of sponsorship disclosures although this needs to be backed by more academic research. Another major gap area is the lack of enough studies in India about influencer endorsement in its unique environment.

Keywords: Influencer endorsement, Instagram influencer, Sponsorship disclosure, Social media marketing, Literature review.