Social media influencers in family travel: positioning patterns and types of appeal

Purpose This study examines how family travel influencers construct their personas and deploy persuasive appeals to shape travel perceptions and decisions for foreign destinations. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative two-stage research design was adopted, combining netnography with content analysis. Textual content from a purposive sample of UK-based family travel influencers was used. Findings Four positioning patterns emerged, that is Nurturing Parent, Family Travel Evangelist, Distinguished Expert and Trailblazer. The three composite types of appeal they used were Inspirational Wanderlust, Informational Guidance and Experiential Reasoning. Research limitations/implications Findings are constrained by the UK-based sample and the textual content. Examining multiple types of content along with audience reactions would definitely broaden the perspective and enhance the validity of our findings. Practical implications Rather than relying on generic family-friendly branding, influencer selection should be at a micro-level. Destination/Tourism marketers should adopt differentiated influencer strategies aligned with positioning and audience appeal; personality and brand fit, emotional resonance and credibility should be prioritised. Originality/value This study introduces a contextualised framework of influencer legitimacy within the complex and morally sensitive domain of family travel. The identification of positioning patterns and distinct appeal types offers a novel lens to understand how trust and credibility are constructed for the audience of these specialised influencers.