Objective: The present study aimed to provide a model for Iraqi influencer marketing on social media platforms, focusing on the impact of influencer marketing on social media on Iraq's economic development.
Methodology: The study employed a thematic analysis approach to data obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews. The field of study included all academic experts in digital management and marketing networks, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 experts until theoretical saturation was reached.
Findings: The research data indicate that some influencers prefer simplicity over consumerism due to their religious beliefs, strongly condemning unplanned and excessive consumption. They favor essential goods and needs, avoiding expensive and luxury items, and encourage their followers to do the same. Influencers use Islamic religious principles, wisdom, proverbs, and texts to reject consumerism, equating it with wastefulness. They consider consumerism a grave sin, with God watching our actions. Some other interviewees argue that most Iraqi influencers favor rampant consumerism, using marketing strategies like displaying in shopping locations, product branding, attempting to change Iraqi consumers' habits and tastes, and emphasizing consumption as an influential identity component. Based on the research findings, influencers have significantly contributed to tourism development by sharing attractive images and videos of various tourist destinations, increasing social media users' desire to visit these places. Some influencers have organized events and tours, directly contributing to this industry's development. By launching specific tourism sites and pages, influencers meet tourists' informational needs, introducing tourist destinations through attractive images and videos. Some influencers conduct free Arabic language education campaigns for foreign tourists on social media using cultural diplomacy tools. Some influencers have launched tourism sites and pages to guide and answer tourists' questions, benefiting personally while developing Iraq's tourism industry.
Conclusion: Overall, the results of the present study show that influencers on social media have emerged as some of the most influential actors in business and marketing. They have significantly contributed in four key economic and social aspects: supply and demand for goods and services, increasing domestic and foreign investments, spreading consumerism, and developing tourism. This highlights the importance of business owners and policymakers paying attention to the role of these individuals in the online space.