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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-Influencers/Borchers-Wellman-Hudders/p/book/9781032830070

20% discount with the code 26AFLY2

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

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

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

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 Pöyry 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 Grgurić Čop

21. The Regulation of Influencers: Expanding the EU Regulatory Horizon beyond Disclosures | Taylor Annabell and Catalina Goanta

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 Ørmen and Andreas Gregersen

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