Transparency management of content creators on social media: motivation, tenure, and status

ABSTRACT Social media influencers have come under increasing pressure to engage in transparent communication. However, for content that is not explicitly an advertisement, their communication practice can vary widely, reflecting the creator’s interests and attitudes towards transparency. This study examines this phenomenon focusing on beauty YouTubers, a distinct community connected by shared styles, routines, and language. We collected 652 beauty YouTube channels and examined the use of creators’ disclosure-related keywords under the framework of “transparency management”. An automated text analysis revealed that over 60% of channels mentioned at least one transparency related keyword. We also found that professionally motivated YouTubers tended to engage in transparency management more than those who lacked such motivation. Moreover, YouTubers with a large number of subscribers were more likely to engage in transparency management than those with a small number of subscribers. This article contributes to a better understanding of content creators’ communication patterns that manifest transparency, even when the content is not sponsored.