Status, Belonging, and Digital Engagement: Interpreting the Influencer Phenomenon

Abstract

This study examines the motivational foundations of aspiring to become an influencer by focusing on different dimensions of online presence. Rather than interpreting the influencer phenomenon as a purely media or marketing outcome, the paper conceptualises influencer aspiration as a motivational process embedded in online social environments. Using data from a voluntary and anonymous online survey (N = 1,146), the motivation to become an influencer was operationalised as a binary outcome variable and analysed in relation to three online presence-related factors: perceived belonging to online communities, the desire for strong online visibility and follower base, and economic engagement with online content creators. To explore these relationships, a binary logistic regression model was estimated. The results indicate that all three dimensions of online presence are significantly associated with influencer aspiration, with the strongest effect observed for the desire for online visibility. At the same time, the model's limited predictive performance suggests that aspiring to become an influencer is not a deterministic outcome of online engagement, but rather a complex, multi-dimensional motivational phenomenon. Overall, the findings highlight that influencer aspiration is closely linked to the quality of online experiences, including community attachment, status-oriented visibility, and engagement with the digital content economy, rather than to the mere intensity of online activity.