Interactive marketing and instant donations: psychological drivers of virtual YouTuber followers’ contributions

Purpose Live streaming is a widely popular form of virtual interaction that enables audiences to show support for the streamer through instant donations. Although virtual streaming has experienced rapid growth and economic benefits in recent years, studies that address virtual streamers specifically remain comparatively limited. Our research adopts parasocial interaction, teleparticipation, construal level theory and attachment theory as theoretical perspectives to address the psychological mechanisms driving followers’ instant donation intention based on the interactive marketing perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study was empirically validated using a survey of 372 valid respondents. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Perceived virtual YouTuber (VTuber) interactivity and follower engagement have a positive effect on emotional attachment via perceived proximity. The virtual community’s identity and emotional attachment are two factors that collectively contribute to instant donation intentions. Originality/value Our results help fill the gap in the literature on the psychological mechanisms driving VTuber followers’ instant donation intention by developing and empirically validating a comprehensive framework. This study is among the first to investigate the driving mechanisms behind followers’ instant donation intention during virtual live streaming, shedding more light on the domain of virtual streamers.