SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING REDEFINED: THE ROLE OF CHATBOTS AND VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS IN AI-DRIVEN INFLUENCER MARKETING

Chithra Lekshmi K S; Jayaseelan  R; Kadeswaran   S; Soundra  Rajan  D; Muralidharan   K

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i8s.2026.7828

Authors

Chithra Lekshmi K S PhD Research Scholar (Part-Time), Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Jayaseelan R Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Communication and Electronic Media, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Kadeswaran S Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Communication and Electronic Media, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Soundra Rajan D Assistant Professor, Department of Visual Communication and Electronic Media, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Muralidharan K PhD Research Scholar (Part-Time), Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i8s.2026.7828

Keywords:

Social Media Marketing, Influencer Marketing, Virtual Influencers, Chatbots, Artificial Intelligence, Etc

Abstract [English]

Social media marketing emerged as a popular and effective strategy for companies to promote their products due to the rapid development of digital technology. This approach of marketing has been utilising more by businesses as it offers target audiences more choices. Social Media Marketing or SMM use the power of social media influencers in building and maintaining a strong relationship with the audience. Influencer marketing is a collaboration between a brand and an online personality, known as Social Media Influencer or SMI who will endorse and promote products, services, ideas or brands to their followers. Technological advancements in the form of artificial intelligence (AI) is also a recent trend in influencer marketing which is used in the form of chatbots and virtual influencers. These digital personalities are used in influencer marketing to support brands and increase their marketing efforts. For the brands which are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage with their target audience, introduction of chatbots and virtual influencers has opened new possibilities. This research focuses on the role of chatbots and virtual influencers in influencer marketing and examines how they impact consumer engagement, trust and brand perception. For the purpose of this study, qualitative research method is adopted to examine consumer attitude towards chatbots and virtual influencers. Researchers collected data from reviewing existing literature and semi-structured interviews to understand consumer perception. The study also explains the methods such as creating personal experience and automated interactions through which the brands strengthen their online presence. This study also provides valuable information on the effectiveness of chatbots and virtual influencers in influencer marketing which adds to the expanding knowledge of digital marketing. It also stresses on the opportunities and challenges to integrate these technological advancements in the marketing efforts of the brands. The study provides recommendations for brands to strengthen customer engagement by maintaining trust and authenticity.

References

Best AI Chatbots In India (2026). (2024, November 11). Haptik. https://www.haptik.ai/blog/10-best-ai-chatbots-in-india

Alcañiz, M., Bigné, E., and Guixeres, J. (2019). Virtual Reality in Marketing: A Framework, Review, and Research Agenda. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1530. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01530

Bayerque, N. (2016). A Short History of Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence. https://venturebeat.com/business/a-short-history-of-chatbots-and-artificial-intelligence/

Bellesen, S., and Gloppen, L. (2023). Social Media Marketing: What Factors Affect Consumers Brand Engagement Towards Social Media Marketing, and What Is the Effectiveness of the Factors? [University of Stavanger Business School]. https://core.ac.uk/download/588315971.pdf

Boyd, D. M., and Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210–230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x

Cheng, Y., and Jiang, H. (2020). How Do AI-Driven Chatbots Impact User Experience? Examining Gratifications, Perceived Privacy Risk, Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Continued Use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 64(4), 592–614. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2020.1834296

Chowdhary, N. (2024). Myntra Introduces the ‘Looks Virtual Try-On’ Feature to Let Customers Try Beauty Products. StyleSpeak. https://stylespeak.com/news/myntra-introduces-myntra-looks-virtual-try-on-feature-to-let-customers-try-beauty-products/

Dondapati, A., and Dehury, R. K. (2024). Virtual vs. Human Influencers: The Battle for Consumer Hearts and Minds. Computers in Human Behavior, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100059

El Hedhli, K., Zourrig, H., Al Khateeb, A., and Alnawas, I. (2023). Stereotyping Human-Like Virtual Influencers in Retailing: Does Warmth Prevail Over Competence? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 75, 103459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103459

Følstad, A., and Brandtzaeg, P. B. (2020). Users’ Experiences with Chatbots: Findings from a Questionnaire Study. Quality and User Experience, 5(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41233-020-00033-2

G, P. (2023). The Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Digital Marketing. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 4. https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i1SE.2023.431

Hiren. (2022). Digital Marketing Overview: Types, Challenges, and Required Skills. TOPS Technologies. https://www.tops-int.com/blog/digital-marketing-overview

J. Church, N. (2019). Competing for Tomorrow’s Customers: A View from the Future. Mercados y Negocios, 39, 5–30. https://doi.org/10.32870/myn.v0i39.7360

Jhawar, A., Kumar, P., and Varshney, S. (2023). The Emergence of Virtual Influencers: A Shift in the Influencer Marketing Paradigm. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369778057_The_emergence_of_virtual_influencers_a_shift_in_the_influencer_marketing_paradigm

Jin, S. V. (2023). “To Comply or to React, That Is the Question:” The Roles of Humanness Versus Eeriness of AI-Powered Virtual Influencers, Loneliness, and Threats to Human Identities in AI-Driven Digital Transformation. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 1(2), 100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2023.100011

Jin, S. V., and Viswanathan, V. (2025a). “Threatened and Empty Selves Following AI-Based Virtual Influencers”: Comparison Between Followers and Non-Followers of Virtual Influencers in AI-Driven Digital Marketing. AI & SOCIETY, 40(1), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-023-01832-9

Kim, E., Shoenberger, H., Kim, D., Thorson, E., and Zihang, E. (2024). Novelty vs. Trust in Virtual Influencers: Exploring the Effectiveness of Human-Like Virtual Influencers and Anime-Like Virtual Influencers. International Journal of Advertising, 44, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2024.2386916

Kim, H., and Park, M. (2023). Virtual Influencers’ Attractiveness Effect on Purchase Intention: A Moderated Mediation Model of the Product–Endorser Fit with the Brand. Computers in Human Behavior, 143, 107703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107703

Lazar, S. K., and Arockia Selvi, S. J. (2023). Impact of Influencer Marketing on Customer Purchase Intention With Special Reference to Coimbatore City. IJCRT, 11(4). https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2304198.pdf

Looi, J., and Kahlor, L. A. (2024). Artificial Intelligence in Influencer Marketing: A Mixed-Method Comparison of Human and Virtual Influencers on Instagram. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 24(2), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2024.2313721

Ma, Y., and Li, J. (2024). How Humanlike Is Enough? Uncover the Underlying Mechanism of Virtual Influencer Endorsement. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 2(1), 100037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2023.100037

Ma, Z., Dou, Z., Zhu, Y., Zhong, H., and Wen, J.-R. (2021). One Chatbot Per Person: Creating Personalized Chatbots Based on Implicit User Profiles. Proceedings of the 44th International ACM SIGIR Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval, 555–564. https://doi.org/10.1145/3404835.3462828

Nicolescu, L., and Tudorache, M. T. (2022). Human-Computer Interaction in Customer Service: The Experience with AI Chatbots—A Systematic Literature Review. Electronics, 11(10), 1579. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11101579

Polzehl, T., Cao, Y., Carmona, V. I. S., Liu, X., Hu, C., Iskender, N., Beyer, A., and Möller, S. (2022). Towards Personalization by Information Savviness to Improve User Experience in Customer Service Chatbot Conversations. Proceedings, 2, 36–47. https://www.scitepress.org/Link.aspx?doi=10.5220/0010814200003124

Shumanov, M., and Johnson, L. (2021). Making Conversations with Chatbots More Personalized. Computers in Human Behavior, 117, 106627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106627

Sorosrungruang, T., Ameen, N., and Hackley, C. (2024). How Real Is Real Enough? Unveiling the Diverse Power of Generative AI-Enabled Virtual Influencers and the Dynamics of Human Responses. Psychology & Marketing, 41(12), 3124–3143. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22105

Titan Eye+ Unveils Five Innovations in Live OOH Interaction With Ayushmann Khurrana. (2023). Financial Express. https://www.financialexpress.com/business/brandwagon-titan-eye-unveils-5-innovations-in-live-ooh-interaction-with-ayushmann-khurrana-3264011/

Varadarajan, R., Welden, R. B., Arunachalam, S., Haenlein, M., and Gupta, S. (2022). Digital Product Innovations for the Greater Good and Digital Marketing Innovations in Communications and Channels: Evolution, Emerging Issues, and Future Research Directions. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(2), 482–501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2021.09.002

Vijaykumar, M., Sri Varsini, R., and Mappillai Meeran, S. (2024). A Study on Chatbots and Virtual Assistants in Customer Engagement: A Review. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research, 14(1), 204–208. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10791697

Xuan, C., Liat, C., Chalke, A., and Idris, I. (2023). Brand Engagement in Self-Concept for Influencer Marketing: The Role of Product Involvement as a Moderator. E-Academia Journal, 12, 90–104. https://doi.org/10.24191/e-aj.v12i1.21506

Yu, J., Dickinger, A., So, K. K. F., and Egger, R. (2024). Artificial Intelligence-Generated Virtual Influencer: Examining the Effects of Emotional Display on User Engagement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 76, 103560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103560