Exploring the Criteria for Advertisers to Choose Social Media Internet Celebrities: A Qualitative Study Based on the Source Credibility Model

With the widespread adoption of social media, internet celebrities have become an important channel for advertisers to promote brands and products.However, advertisers face numerous challenges in choosing appropriate internet celebrities.This study aims to explore the criteria for advertisers to choose social media internet celebrities.Based on the source credibility model, this research employed in-depth interview to collect experiential data from 6 advertisers and utilized qualitative analysis methods for coding and thematic analyses.The results indicated that attractiveness and expertise are the initial criteria for choosing internet celebrities, while trustworthiness and compatibility are crucial for the effectiveness of cooperations.The study also found that past performance and consumer stickiness factors are considered important in evaluating the commercial potential of internet celebrities.The contribution of this research lies in constructing a framework for internet celebrity choosing criteria through analyzing advertisers' practical experience.It provides new theoretical perspectives and practical strategic recommendations for the field of internet celebrities.