Pushed by necessity, pulled by passion: motivations from social media influencers (SMIs) to unconventional entrepreneurs in China

China’s digital landscape has catalyzed the rise of social media influencers (SMIs) as a significant group of unconventional entrepreneurs. This study examines the motivational dynamics driving the transition from ordinary social media users to entrepreneurial entities. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty Chinese SMIs, we explore an unconventional sequence of entrepreneurial action where resource accumulation (e.g., audience attention) often precedes the explicit intent to monetize. Drawing on the Push and Pull theory, we conclude that this transition is driven by nine distinct motivations. Pull factors include passion, fun and entertainment, social identity, self-expression, identity advantage, market opportunity, and economic reward, which draw individuals toward digital entrepreneurship through intrinsic satisfaction and commercial promise. Push factors comprise survival needs and an unstable environment (e.g., the pandemic), which compel individuals to seek alternative livelihoods. These findings challenge the established “motivation-opportunity-resources” framework by highlighting the accidental and reactive nature of SMI entrepreneurship in China, offering new theoretical insights into how digital platforms and sociocultural forces reshape entrepreneurial behavior.