How Sensory Language Shapes Influencer's Impact.

This article investigates how sensory language—words that engage the senses such as "juicy" or "crumble"—in influencer-sponsored social media posts affects consumer engagement and purchase behavior. Through a multimethod approach combining large-scale automated analyses of Instagram and TikTok posts with controlled experiments, the research finds that sensory language increases likes, comments, and willingness to buy by enhancing perceived authenticity; consumers infer that influencers genuinely use the products they endorse when sensory language is present. The effect is stronger for influencers with many followers, whose authenticity is more often questioned, and is diminished when other cues confirm product use or when authenticity is less in doubt. These findings contribute to understanding the role of language in influencer marketing, sensory marketing, and authenticity perceptions, offering practical guidance for marketers and influencers to craft more impactful sponsored content.