Fact-based versus emotion-based content: how influencers’ posts affect customer engagement during the stage of incrementally new product launch

Purpose Nowadays, influencers are increasingly involved in the promotion of incrementally new products. During the stage of incrementally new product launch, influencers actively write posts related to the new product, which will be viewed by many customers and attract engagement. In these posts, some influencers convey objective information related to product attributes (fact-based content), while others express their attitudes, evaluations and feelings toward the product (emotion-based content). However, the effects of fact-based versus emotion-based content generated by influencers on customer engagement during the stage of incrementally new product launch remain unknown. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a multi-method investigation that combines econometric analyses of new smartphone data from Sina Weibo (Study 1) and a controlled experiment (Study 2) to explore the effects of influencers’ fact-based versus emotion-based content on engagement during the stage of incrementally new product launch. Findings We find that compared with fact-based content, emotion-based content attracts a significantly higher level of engagement in the launch stage. Besides, the results show that follower size moderates this impact. Originality/value Our findings contribute to the literature on incrementally new product launches from the perspective of influencer-generated content and advance extant knowledge on the effect of fact-based and emotion-based content. The results can guide product managers in enhancing incrementally new product promotion strategies regarding influencers.