The Impact of Influencer Mix Strategies on Engagement Rates: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Instagram Marketing Campaigns

Research Article
Open access

The Impact of Influencer Mix Strategies on Engagement Rates: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Instagram Marketing Campaigns

Wei Yan 1*
  • 1 Faculty of Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China    
  • *corresponding author Portraityan13@link.cuhk.edu.hk
AEMPS Vol.186
ISSN (Print): 2754-1177
ISSN (Online): 2754-1169
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-153-2
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-154-9

Abstract

The rise of social media has positioned influencer marketing as a cornerstone of contemporary brand strategies, yet the comparative effectiveness of micro-influencers (10,000–99,999 followers) versus macro-influencers (≥100,000 followers) remains inadequately debated. This study extends the discourse by introducing a novel "mix strategy"—where brands collaborate with both micro- and macro-influencers and evaluates its impact on engagement rates compared to single-influencer approaches. Leveraging simulated data from the "2022 Social Media Influencers" dataset on Kaggle, this research applies a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to estimate the causal effect of the mix strategy. The eventual findings reveal that the mix strategy of one micro- and one macro-influencer significantly outperforms the single-influencer strategy, which could increase the engagement rates by approximately 1.2 percentage points. This research advances influencer marketing literature by offering empirical evidence of the mix strategy’s efficacy and provides actionable insights for optimizing brand marketing strategies on social media and future influencer endorsement plans.

Keywords:

Influencer Marketing, Engagement Rate, Micro-Influencers, Macro-Influencers, Brand Strategy

Yan,W. (2025). The Impact of Influencer Mix Strategies on Engagement Rates: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Instagram Marketing Campaigns. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,186,153-159.
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References

[1]. Gu, Xian, Xiaoxi Zhang, and P.K Kannan. “Influencer Mix Strategies in Livestream Commerce: Impact on Product Sales.” Journal of marketing 88.4 (2024): 64–83. Web.

[2]. Spörl-Wang, Katja, Franziska Krause, and Sven Henkel. “Predictors of Social Media Influencer Marketing Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of business research 186 (2025): 114991-. Web.

[3]. Tian, Zijun, Ryan Dew, and Raghuram Iyengar. “Mega or Micro? Influencer Selection Using Follower Elasticity.” Journal of marketing research 61.3 (2024): 472–495. Web.

[4]. Leung, Fine F et al. “Influencer Marketing Effectiveness.” Journal of marketing 86.6 (2022): 93–115. Web.

[5]. Fang, Xing, Seong Kyoung Shin, and Xingyu Huang. “Enhancing Social Media Engagement: Speech Act Strategies across Influencer Types.” Journal of retailing and consumer services 84 (2025): 104258-. Web.

[6]. Leung, Fine F, Flora F Gu, and Robert W Palmatier. “Online Influencer Marketing.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 50.2 (2022): 226–251. Web.

[7]. Liao, Junyun, and Jiada Chen. “The Authenticity Advantage: How Influencer Authenticity Management Strategies Shape Digital Engagement with Sponsored Videos.” Journal of business research 185 (2024): 114937-. Web.

[8]. Libai, Barak et al. “Influencer Marketing Unlocked: Understanding the Value Chains Driving the Creator Economy.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 53.1 (2025): 4–28. Web.

Cite this article

Yan,W. (2025). The Impact of Influencer Mix Strategies on Engagement Rates: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis of Instagram Marketing Campaigns. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,186,153-159.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICMRED 2025 Symposium: Effective Communication as a Powerful Management Tool

ISBN：978-1-80590-153-2(Print) / 978-1-80590-154-9(Online)
Editor：Lukáš Vartiak
Conference website: https://2025.icmred.org/Bratislava.html
Conference date: 30 May 2025
Series: Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences
Volume number: Vol.186
ISSN：2754-1169(Print) / 2754-1177(Online)

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References

[1]. Gu, Xian, Xiaoxi Zhang, and P.K Kannan. “Influencer Mix Strategies in Livestream Commerce: Impact on Product Sales.” Journal of marketing 88.4 (2024): 64–83. Web.

[2]. Spörl-Wang, Katja, Franziska Krause, and Sven Henkel. “Predictors of Social Media Influencer Marketing Effectiveness: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of business research 186 (2025): 114991-. Web.

[3]. Tian, Zijun, Ryan Dew, and Raghuram Iyengar. “Mega or Micro? Influencer Selection Using Follower Elasticity.” Journal of marketing research 61.3 (2024): 472–495. Web.

[4]. Leung, Fine F et al. “Influencer Marketing Effectiveness.” Journal of marketing 86.6 (2022): 93–115. Web.

[5]. Fang, Xing, Seong Kyoung Shin, and Xingyu Huang. “Enhancing Social Media Engagement: Speech Act Strategies across Influencer Types.” Journal of retailing and consumer services 84 (2025): 104258-. Web.

[6]. Leung, Fine F, Flora F Gu, and Robert W Palmatier. “Online Influencer Marketing.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 50.2 (2022): 226–251. Web.

[7]. Liao, Junyun, and Jiada Chen. “The Authenticity Advantage: How Influencer Authenticity Management Strategies Shape Digital Engagement with Sponsored Videos.” Journal of business research 185 (2024): 114937-. Web.

[8]. Libai, Barak et al. “Influencer Marketing Unlocked: Understanding the Value Chains Driving the Creator Economy.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 53.1 (2025): 4–28. Web.

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