New book: The Routledge Companion to Social Media Influencers
Dear community, Delighted to share the publication of the new Routledge Companion to Social Media Influencers, edited by the brill Nils S. Borchers, Mariah L. Wellman, and Liselot Hudders! Bringing together 31 chapters by leading scholars from around the world, the volume offers a rich and interdisciplinary overview of the rapidly expanding field of influencer studies. Across diverse regional contexts, the collection examines influencer labor and professionalism, authenticity and self-branding, authority and expertise, creator economies, follower relationships, trust and fandom, platform governance, marketing and regulation, ethics, advocacy and political influence, while also addressing emerging developments such as kidfluencers, virtual influencers, and the future of influencer culture. More broadly, the companion showcases the maturation of influencer studies as a field in its own right, providing diverse theoretical, methodological, and global perspectives on one of the defining cultural industries of our time. So whether you're new to influencer studies, a seasoned contributor, or trying to keep up with the ever-growing mountain of scholarship on the topic, this volume offers a valuable resource for teaching, research, and future conversations about influencer culture. You can order and learn more about the volume here: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Social-Media-Influencer... 20% discount with the code *26AFLY2* *Table of Contents* 1. *Influencers as the Iconic Figures of the Social Media Age: An Introduction to the Routledge Companion to Social Media Influencers *| Nils S. Borchers, Mariah L. Wellman, and Liselot Hudders 2. *Defining Social Media Influencers: When Legacy Media Hits Convergence Culture *| Nils S. Borchers and Mariah L. Wellman *Part I: Influencers* 3. *Toward an Influencer Production Studies: Between-the-Line Labor in the Creator Economy *| Jessica Maddox 4. *Expert Influencers: Understanding Authority and Credibility in the Influencer Industry *| Mariah L. Wellman 5. *Influencer 'Authenticity' and 'Self-Branding': Influencer Studies Within, Between and Beyond the Margins | *Zoe Hurley 6. *Influencer Professionalism in Review: Rethinking the Amateur/Professional Binary through Emerging Benchmarks* | Faye Mercier and Crystal Abidin 7. *Influencer Labor: Will Work Incessantly Against Uncertainty* | Ana Jorge and Ana Margarida Coelho 8. *Tastemakers of the Platform Age: The Cultural and Economic Work of Social Media Influencers *| Arturo Arriagada *Part II: Followers* 9. *Endorse, Engage, Influence: Direct Effects of Influencer Communication *| Delia Cristina Balaban and Meda Mucundorfeanu 10. *Behind the Filter: Unintended Social and Psychological Impacts of Influencer Marketing *| Michelle Bouw, Emmelyn Croes, Annemarie Nanne, Sara Pabian, Alexander P. Schouten, and Ini Vanwesenbeeck 11. *Follower-Influencer Relationships: Moving Beyond the Parasocial Relationship *| Chen Lou, Xuan Zhou, and Yi Wu 12. *Beyond Promotion: Trust as the Heart of Authentic Influencer-Follower Relationships *| Khalid Alharbi and Bassam Alghanim 13. *Sponsored! Disclosures of Influencer Marketing to Enhance Transparency and Advertising* *Literacy *| Eva van Reijmersdal, Sophie Boerman, and Priska Breves 14. *Fandom and Influencers: Social Media Influencers through the Eyes of Their Fans *| Hanan Ezzat *Part III: Influencer Industry* 15. *Influence and Impact: Navigating the Influencer Economy from a Brand Management Perspective* | Kineta Hung and Jisu Huh 16. *Influencer Relations: Centering the Human within Commerce, Community and Creativity *| Catherine Archer 17. *Prosocial Causes: How Influencers Contribute to the Common Good* | Essi P?yry and Meri Frig 18. *The Role of Influencer Intermediaries: Stabilizing and Industrializing an Emergent Industry* | Ryan Stoldt 19. *Platform Politics and Influencers: Visibility, Invisibility, Hypervisibility *| Lucia Bainotti 20. *Influencer Ethics: The Complicated Task of Navigating Moral Expectations of Followers, Brands, and Society* | Nils S. Borchers and Nina Grguri? ?op 21. *The Regulation of Influencers: Expanding the EU Regulatory Horizon beyond Disclosures *| Taylor Annabell and Catalina Goanta *Part IV: Lifeworlds* 22. *Fashion Influencers: Platformed Allure and the Making of an Influence Culture* | Marco Pedroni 23. *Gaming Influencers: Between Digital Celebrity and Everyday Play* | Mark R. Johnson 24. *Advocacy Influencers: Navigating Resistance and Walking the Activism Tightrope* | Tom Divon 25. *Political Influencers: Evolution, Engagement, and Impact *| Hanna Reinikainen and Johanna Arnesson 26. *Eco-influencers: Saving Planet Earth One Audience Member at a Time *| Aya Aboelenien and Ghalia Shamayleh 27. *Parent Influencers: Reflecting, Shaping and Commodifying Parenting Advice* | Emma Beuckels 28. *Financial Influencers: Expertise, Authenticity, and Authority *| Jacob ?rmen and Andreas Gregersen *Part V: Influencer Futures* 29. *The Kidfluencer Phenomenon: An Overview of the Production, Content, and Audience of Kidfluencers *| Yana Degroote and Liselot Hudders 30. *Beyond the Human Touch: The Evolution, Implications, and Future of Virtual Influencers in Marketing* | Marianny Jessica de Brito Silva, Anne Karolinne da Silva Santos, and Patricia de Oliveira Campos 31. *Influencing as a Profession: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on the Professionalization of Influencer Culture* | Changyan Li, Liselot Hudders, Crystal Abidin, Nils S. Borchers, Brooke Erin Duffy, Hanan Ezzat, Thaysa Costa Do Nascimento, and WeiMing Ye -- *Tom Divon* Creators & Platforms R*esearcher* Dept. of Communication & Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC, Herzliya Tel: +972-547-532681 [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/TomDivon>[image: Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/divon.tom/>[image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/tom.divon> Website: https://tomdivon.com/ Co-Founder: The Content Creator Scholars Network <https://www.ccsn.site/> *Publications*:
Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231157607> #JewishTikTok: The JewToks' Fight against Antisemitism <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359548581_JewishTikTok> Serious TikTok: Can You Learn About the Holocaust in 60 Seconds? <https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/digitalholocaustmemory/2022/03/24/can-you-learn-about-the-holocaust-in-60-seconds-on-tiktok/> Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241269281> Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768624241303109> The unsolicited algorithm: unveiling gendered harms and (non)consent in apple iOS features <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2024.2433683?src=> The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448241251804?icid=int.sj-full-text.citing-articles.1> Youthful Platform Commemoration: TikTok as a Frontier for Holocaust Education and Memory <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383957738_Youthful_Platform_Commemoration_TikTok_as_a_Frontier_for_Holocaust_Education_and_Memory>
Thanks for sharing! On Mon, Jun 29, 2026 at 12:20?PM Tom Divon via Air-L < air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
Dear community,
Delighted to share the publication of the new Routledge Companion to Social Media Influencers, edited by the brill Nils S. Borchers, Mariah L. Wellman, and Liselot Hudders!
Bringing together 31 chapters by leading scholars from around the world, the volume offers a rich and interdisciplinary overview of the rapidly expanding field of influencer studies. Across diverse regional contexts, the collection examines influencer labor and professionalism, authenticity and self-branding, authority and expertise, creator economies, follower relationships, trust and fandom, platform governance, marketing and regulation, ethics, advocacy and political influence, while also addressing emerging developments such as kidfluencers, virtual influencers, and the future of influencer culture.
More broadly, the companion showcases the maturation of influencer studies as a field in its own right, providing diverse theoretical, methodological, and global perspectives on one of the defining cultural industries of our time. So whether you're new to influencer studies, a seasoned contributor, or trying to keep up with the ever-growing mountain of scholarship on the topic, this volume offers a valuable resource for teaching, research, and future conversations about influencer culture.
You can order and learn more about the volume here:
https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Social-Media-Influencer... 20% discount with the code *26AFLY2*
*Table of Contents*
1. *Influencers as the Iconic Figures of the Social Media Age: An Introduction to the Routledge Companion to Social Media Influencers *| Nils S. Borchers, Mariah L. Wellman, and Liselot Hudders
2. *Defining Social Media Influencers: When Legacy Media Hits Convergence Culture *| Nils S. Borchers and Mariah L. Wellman
*Part I: Influencers*
3. *Toward an Influencer Production Studies: Between-the-Line Labor in the Creator Economy *| Jessica Maddox
4. *Expert Influencers: Understanding Authority and Credibility in the Influencer Industry *| Mariah L. Wellman
5. *Influencer 'Authenticity' and 'Self-Branding': Influencer Studies Within, Between and Beyond the Margins | *Zoe Hurley
6. *Influencer Professionalism in Review: Rethinking the Amateur/Professional Binary through Emerging Benchmarks* | Faye Mercier and Crystal Abidin
7. *Influencer Labor: Will Work Incessantly Against Uncertainty* | Ana Jorge and Ana Margarida Coelho
8. *Tastemakers of the Platform Age: The Cultural and Economic Work of Social Media Influencers *| Arturo Arriagada
*Part II: Followers*
9. *Endorse, Engage, Influence: Direct Effects of Influencer Communication *| Delia Cristina Balaban and Meda Mucundorfeanu
10. *Behind the Filter: Unintended Social and Psychological Impacts of Influencer Marketing *| Michelle Bouw, Emmelyn Croes, Annemarie Nanne, Sara Pabian, Alexander P. Schouten, and Ini Vanwesenbeeck
11. *Follower-Influencer Relationships: Moving Beyond the Parasocial Relationship *| Chen Lou, Xuan Zhou, and Yi Wu
12. *Beyond Promotion: Trust as the Heart of Authentic Influencer-Follower Relationships *| Khalid Alharbi and Bassam Alghanim
13. *Sponsored! Disclosures of Influencer Marketing to Enhance Transparency and Advertising* *Literacy *| Eva van Reijmersdal, Sophie Boerman, and Priska Breves
14. *Fandom and Influencers: Social Media Influencers through the Eyes of Their Fans *| Hanan Ezzat
*Part III: Influencer Industry*
15. *Influence and Impact: Navigating the Influencer Economy from a Brand Management Perspective* | Kineta Hung and Jisu Huh
16. *Influencer Relations: Centering the Human within Commerce, Community and Creativity *| Catherine Archer
17. *Prosocial Causes: How Influencers Contribute to the Common Good* | Essi P?yry and Meri Frig
18. *The Role of Influencer Intermediaries: Stabilizing and Industrializing an Emergent Industry* | Ryan Stoldt
19. *Platform Politics and Influencers: Visibility, Invisibility, Hypervisibility *| Lucia Bainotti
20. *Influencer Ethics: The Complicated Task of Navigating Moral Expectations of Followers, Brands, and Society* | Nils S. Borchers and Nina Grguri? ?op
21. *The Regulation of Influencers: Expanding the EU Regulatory Horizon beyond Disclosures *| Taylor Annabell and Catalina Goanta
*Part IV: Lifeworlds*
22. *Fashion Influencers: Platformed Allure and the Making of an Influence Culture* | Marco Pedroni
23. *Gaming Influencers: Between Digital Celebrity and Everyday Play* | Mark R. Johnson
24. *Advocacy Influencers: Navigating Resistance and Walking the Activism Tightrope* | Tom Divon
25. *Political Influencers: Evolution, Engagement, and Impact *| Hanna Reinikainen and Johanna Arnesson
26. *Eco-influencers: Saving Planet Earth One Audience Member at a Time *| Aya Aboelenien and Ghalia Shamayleh
27. *Parent Influencers: Reflecting, Shaping and Commodifying Parenting Advice* | Emma Beuckels
28. *Financial Influencers: Expertise, Authenticity, and Authority *| Jacob ?rmen and Andreas Gregersen
*Part V: Influencer Futures*
29. *The Kidfluencer Phenomenon: An Overview of the Production, Content, and Audience of Kidfluencers *| Yana Degroote and Liselot Hudders
30. *Beyond the Human Touch: The Evolution, Implications, and Future of Virtual Influencers in Marketing* | Marianny Jessica de Brito Silva, Anne Karolinne da Silva Santos, and Patricia de Oliveira Campos
31. *Influencing as a Profession: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on the Professionalization of Influencer Culture* | Changyan Li, Liselot Hudders, Crystal Abidin, Nils S. Borchers, Brooke Erin Duffy, Hanan Ezzat, Thaysa Costa Do Nascimento, and WeiMing Ye
--
*Tom Divon* Creators & Platforms R*esearcher* Dept. of Communication & Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC, Herzliya Tel: +972-547-532681 [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/TomDivon>[image: Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/divon.tom/>[image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/tom.divon> Website: https://tomdivon.com/ Co-Founder: The Content Creator Scholars Network <https://www.ccsn.site/> *Publications*:
Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231157607> #JewishTikTok: The JewToks' Fight against Antisemitism <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359548581_JewishTikTok> Serious TikTok: Can You Learn About the Holocaust in 60 Seconds? <https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/digitalholocaustmemory/2022/03/24/can-you-learn-about-the-holocaust-in-60-seconds-on-tiktok/> Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241269281> Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768624241303109> The unsolicited algorithm: unveiling gendered harms and (non)consent in apple iOS features <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2024.2433683?src=> The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448241251804?icid=int.sj-full-text.citing-articles.1> Youthful Platform Commemoration: TikTok as a Frontier for Holocaust Education and Memory <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383957738_Youthful_Platform_Commemoration_TikTok_as_a_Frontier_for_Holocaust_Education_and_Memory>
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