Amplifying the Customer Voice: Unleashing the Power of Influencer Partnerships and Co-creation to Drive Viral Growth

The escalating prominence of social media trends within micro and small enterprise (MSEs) marketing strategies has prompted this research. Its primary objective is to scrutinize the influence of influencer marketing and co-creation on MSEs' marketing performance, with viral marketing serving as a mediating factor. A survey involving 214 MSEs, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, yielded the data for this study. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through Warp-PLS version 8.0. The findings reveal that both influencer marketing and co-creation effectively stimulate viral marketing. Consequently, influencer marketing's contribution to marketing performance is realized solely through its impact on viral marketing. In contrast, co-creation exhibits a more pronounced direct influence on marketing performance compared to its mediated effect through viral marketing. These results contribute to the understanding of the appropriate application of social media trends within MSEs operating in urban areas of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.