What is Social Media Influencer

Virtual influencers are rapidly gaining significance in the digital marketing realm. This study offers an overview of the fragmented landscape of virtual influencer research, addressing key contributions, themes, methodologies, and future directions. Employing a bibliometric analysis approach, the research examined 52 articles from the Scopus database, shedding light on the evolving field. Findings underscore a dispersed literature landscape that began in 2020, spanning 44 distinct outlets and involving 138 authors. The prevailing research primarily centers on general social media users' perceptions of virtual influencers, leaving substantial gaps in the study of actual followers. Many pieces of research exhibit a lack of methodological rigor and theoretical framework. As the discipline progresses, there is an emergent need for enhanced methodologies that focus on genuine followers and encompass broader managerial objectives. The prospects for subsequent research in this domain are vast and promising.