Verbal and nonverbal cues in influencer performance: a deep learning perspective on livestreaming e-commerce

Abstract

Purpose Grounded in the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), this study aims to examine how influencer performance shapes sales outcomes in livestreaming e-commerce through the concurrent activation of the central route (verbal cues) and peripheral route (nonverbal cues), and how these two routes interact to jointly determine sales effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach Using multimodal deep learning techniques, including computer vision and audio analysis, the authors analyzed 2,346 livestreaming videos to objectively extract nonverbal cues (beauty, smile and voice loudness) and manually coded verbal cues (product information), linking all measures to actual sales outcomes. Findings Verbal cues exert a positive linear effect on sales, while nonverbal cues exhibit inverted U-shaped relationships − moderate levels are most effective, with both under- and over-expression reducing sales. Critically, verbal cues systematically amplify these inverted U-shaped effects: higher product information intensifies both the positive and negative portions of the nonverbal cue curves, revealing that the central and peripheral routes operate not independently but interactively. Practical implications Influencers should provide rich, informative product content while maintaining moderate levels of nonverbal expressiveness. Importantly, strong verbal delivery amplifies the consequences of nonverbal calibration − making script quality and expressive moderation complementary, not independent, levers for sales optimization. Originality/value This study makes two primary contributions. First, it extends ELM by reconceptualizing the central and peripheral routes as concurrently activated and mutually interactive in livestreaming contexts − moving beyond the traditional assumption of route exclusivity. Second, it introduces a scalable multimodal deep learning pipeline that enables simultaneous, objective measurement of verbal and nonverbal cues at scale, providing an empirical infrastructure for future research on influencer persuasion.