Bookstagrammers as literary influencers: their credibility and its impact on consumers’ purchase intentions

Pereira, Inês Teixeira do Souto

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/58335

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Authors

Pereira, Inês Teixeira do Souto

Advisor(s)

Neves, Cidália

Machado, Isabel

Abstract(s)

In recent years, interest in literature has grown worldwide, fostered by the rise of online communities focused on books and reading. In Portugal, publishers have started to investing in partnerships with influencers who create book content such as Bookstagrammers, Instagram’s literature-focused influencers, use visually engaging content to shape readers’ habits, promote authors and new titles. Social media influencers are increasingly perceived as credible and trusted voices in academic literature, with their recommendations now often being favoured over traditional advertising, positioning influencer marketing as an important tool for brands. Despite extensive research on social media influencers, studies focusing on the Portuguese context remain scarce, particularly on Bookfluencers and the Portuguese publishing industry. To address this gap, the present study aims to understand how Bookstagrammers affect consumers’ purchase intentions regarding books. In line with this overall objective, the research pursues three specific objectives: (1) Investigate the impact of Bookstagrammers’ credibility on purchase intentions, (2) Analyse which dimension of influencer credibility exert the greatest influence on those intentions, and (3) Explore the reading habits of Portuguese consumers, followers of Bookstagram. A quantitative methodology was adopted. The data was collected through an online questionnaire, distributed via social media in collaboration with Bookstagrammers. The non-probabilistic sample consisted of 494 Portuguese consumers who are followers of Bookstagram. The results revealed that Bookstagrammers' credibility has a significant positive effect on purchase intentions, with trustworthiness emerging as the most impactful dimension, followed by expertise and attractiveness. Regarding the reading habits of this sample, various insights were collected. Most participants reported reading more over the past year, with nearly half reading daily and many reading between 51 and 75 books in the previous year. These consumers primarily search for book information through social media, bookstores, and personal recommendations. These results contribute to understanding Bookstagrammers’ influence on consumer behavior and the reading habits of consumers. Future research could explore other literary communities and expand the sample to non-followers of the community to obtain a national comprehension of consumers' reading habits.