Link in Bio, But Where? Strategic Platform Adoption by Influencers in the Creator Economy

Abstract

Social media influencers have set the stage for the emergence of the creator economy, turning content creation into a viable source of income for both themselves and collaborating brands. However, limited attention has been given to how influencers can strategically grow their engagement. Our study addresses this gap by examining how adopting new platforms helps influencers grow different forms of engagement depending on their type. The analysis builds on the Bass diffusion model and its multi-market and multi-product extensions. Using a unique proprietary dataset with longitudinal engagement data from Instagram and TikTok, we show that new platform adoption leads to significant increases in engagement, with expert influencers benefiting primarily from interactive engagement and entertainer influencers from appreciative engagement. The effect, however, is not uniform and could vary by influencer type, adoption order, and mixing behavior, underscoring the importance of tailored multi-platform growth strategies to optimize engagement outcomes.