Nano influencers: a study of consumer participation in the profile of beauty products on Instagram

The evolution of digital technologies and the rise of social media have opened space for the flowering of a new category of opinion leaders: digital influencers. Within this group, nano influencers are individuals who have up to ten thousand followers and their particularities distinguish them from other types. Therefore, this work sought to identify the reasons that lead consumers to follow and engage in profiles of digital nano influencers on Instagram. For that, a qualitative approach was used, making use of observational and documentary research, in addition to the application of in-depth interviews. The research locus was the Instagram profile @ritualdoskincare, where data such as number of followers were collected, and also, some behaviors related to consumer engagement were observed. Through this profile, respondents were pre-selected for the interviews. As a criterion for research validity, triangulation was chosen. The results showed that the main reasons for following digital influencers are: authenticity, identification with the nano influencer, identification with content and search for reviews, inspiration, accessibility. As an original finding, it was found that the search for local content and promotions can also lead consumers to follow nano influencers. The study also pointed out that this type of influencer has higher levels of engagement as they are more available for interactivity with their followers, who actively participate through likes, comments and sharing.