Characteristics and roles of streamers in e-commerce live streaming

Shengliang Zhang · Chaoying Huang · Xiaodong Li · Ai Ren

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Digital Marketing and Social Media Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence AI in Service Interactions

Abstract

Streamers are the individuals at the core of e-commerce live streaming (ELS), which is a successful influencer marketing strategy. However, a systematic profile of ELS streamers is lacking. This study aims to investigate the roles and characteristics of ELS streamers, as well as their matching relationships, by applying the grounded theory method to analyze semi-structured interviews of 96 consumers. Eight characteristics of ELS streamers (expertise, attractiveness, credibility, interactivity, popularity, price support, affinity, and responsiveness) are identified and further classified into four roles (opinion leader, spokesperson, interactive friend, and salesperson). This study is the first to create a role set for ELS streamers and the first to systematically elucidate the roles of ELS streamers and their corresponding characteristics. It not only supplements e-commerce, influencer marketing, and role theory research by identifying new characteristics and roles of ELS streamers, but it also provides a clear framework practitioners can use to train streamers.

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References

1998Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory 2017Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization 2019The future of social media in marketing 2018The role of live streaming in building consumer trust and engagement with social commerce sellers 2016Social media marketing efforts of luxury brands: Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior 2004Qualitative Research and Translation Dilemmas 2018Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership 2021Social media influencer marketing: A systematic review, integrative framework and future research agenda

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