Sticky Narratives: How Micro-Influencers Engage and Retain Their Audience Through Storytelling

Abstract

This research examines the vital role of storytelling in modern marketing communications and interactions, focusing on micro influencers on social media platforms like Instagram. This work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of storytelling strategies employed by influencers in engaging and retaining audiences. This qualitative analysis identifies four key narrative strategies: educating, evaluating, advising and entertaining. These strategies are assessed for their impact on audience engagement and ‘stickiness’. The findings reveal that each narrative strategy uniquely affects audience interaction and engagement on social media. The study underscores the significance of micro influencers in shaping brand engagement, emphasising the need for a balance between creative freedom and brand alignment. Importantly, it highlights how influencers leverage personal narratives to build trust and authenticity with their audience, thus enhancing brand image and audience connection. This trend towards authenticity and personal narratives in digital communication reflects a broader societal shift where consumers value transparency and genuine connection. This research also calls for further exploration of diverse narrative strategies across different domains and the role of technology in empowering influencers. This study contributes to understanding digital influencer storytelling and its impact on brand image and audience engagement, offering new perspectives on influencer marketing strategies in the digital era.