INFLUENCERS

Here’s why social media influencers should swear off bad language

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2026

The lesson for brand managers is to evaluate whether an influencer’s language feels authentic and engaging to their viewers, researchers say.

For some influencers, dropping swear words is part of their brand and their followers embrace it. But new research from the University of Texas at Austin in the US suggests most creators might think twice about using profanity because it reduces user engagement. 

 

But profanity’s effects can vary by context according to the study by Vijay Mahajan, Professor of Marketing, and former doctoral student Mahdi Niknejad Moghadam, now teaching at The University of Texas at Tyler. 

 

Despite widespread profanity among certain influencers, no research had examined its consequences among the viewers they’re trying to influence, Mahajan says. “Profanity can be a cue of authenticity and community belonging, but it also goes against social and sometimes platform norms.”

Group of friends taking a selfie with a smartphone visible face on the phone screen and braided hair person posing nearby

Photo: Ron Lach/Pexels

He and Niknejad used machine learning to analyse 43,892 videos on a popular platform. The programme measured concentrations of profanity. It also gauged volume, video quality and vocal emotion expressed in each video. 

 

On average, they found, each additional dirty word decreased engagement from 0.04% to 0.74%. For the average influencer, that meant 230 to 4,030 fewer interactions with users. 

 

“Swearing is becoming more normal,” says Niknejad. “At the same time, when we look at the broader audiences, there are many people who still are going to react negatively to it.” 

 

Context is crucial 

 

Because gamers – the initial audience studied by the researchers – are notorious for crude speech, the team also examined more mainstream influencers: 1,730 ‘how-to’ and ‘style’ videos in fashion, hobbies and home improvement. 

 

In those categories, profanity was even more distasteful for users. It lessened engagement as much as 6.5%. The lesson, the researchers say, is that context matters. Several contexts make negative responses more likely: 

 

Mixed audiences. Swearing can cue a sense of community when viewers are demographically similar. But when they’re not, it’s more likely to turn off conservative viewers. 

 

Polite discourse. When profanity is inserted into otherwise respectful content, audiences interpret it as a tactic and they question the speaker’s motives. 

 

Gender. Though expletives from both genders reduce engagement, users dislike them more when the influencer is female. They conflict with lingering gender norms, Niknejad suggests. 

 

Sponsors stir suspicions. Profanity is more harmful when it appears in sponsored videos, perhaps because the existence of financial motives makes viewers less trusting. 

 

In a few contexts, however, swearing doesn’t turn off audiences. When an influencer has a history of off-colour language, viewers remain engaged. Used consistently, swearing can even be a reliable part of the influencer’s brand. 

 

The lesson for brand managers is to evaluate whether an influencer’s language feels authentic and engaging to their viewers, the researchers say. Most influencers, however, may want to use profanity sparingly, or not at all, if they want to expand into a more diverse audience. 

 

“Profanity use is very nuanced,” Niknejad says. “It’s not all positive, and it’s not all negative. Know your audience and create appropriate content for them.” 

 

‘To Swear or Not To Swear: Exploring the Role of Profanity in Influencer Marketing’ is published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

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