Principle, profit or pleasure? Social media influencers and sustainable consumption: from bibliometric analysis to a conceptual model

Purpose This study explains when social media influencers promote sustainable consumption, shifting attention from who the influencer is to what their content asks followers to value. Design/methodology/approach A preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA)-guided review of 77 Scopus articles (2020–2026) combines bibliometric analysis in Biblioshiny (Bibliometrix R package) with a theory–context–methodology (TCM) synthesis. Goal-framing theory, the persuasion knowledge model and the theory of planned behaviour inform a conceptual model. Findings The field is young, fast-growing and concentrated in sustainability and consumer-marketing journals. Post content is studied as often as the influencer (41 of 77 studies each), but appeals are compared in isolated pairs and only three studies cross an appeal with sponsorship disclosure. The influencer goal-framing (IGF) model proposes that normative, self-benefit and hedonic appeals raise sustainable consumption intention and behaviour but compete with one another, and, for empirical testing, that sponsorship disclosure weakens self-benefit and hedonic appeals but not normative appeal. Research limitations/implications The review relies on one database, the authors' coding and evidence centred on Instagram and intentions; the seven propositions need experimental and field tests with behavioural measures. Practical implications Brands and influencers should lead with a reason to do good, supported by verifiable benefits or enjoyment; regulators could link disclosure rules to green-claim standards. Originality/value The study applies goal-framing theory to influencer content, offering a content-based explanation of when appeals work and how disclosure changes them.