Money Talks ... to Online Opinion Leaders: What Motivates Opinion Leaders To Make Social-Network Referrals?

This study investigated the effectiveness of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivations for consumers’ online social-network referrals, specifically across “opinion leaders” and “non–opinion leaders.” The authors utilized a unique dataset that matched a survey with an online field experiment.

Money Talks … to Online Opinion Leaders: What Motivates Opinion Leaders To Make Social-Network Referrals?

Mengze Shi

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Andrea C. Wojnicki

Independent marketing consultant

Management slant

  • This research substantiates and reinforces the significant role of online "opinion leaders" in the marketplace. Referral campaigns not only should be targeted but offer valued, tangible rewards to opinion leaders.
  • Empirical results indicate that consumers' online referral rates are higher when extrinsic (i.e., financial) rewards are conferred, particularly among opinion leaders.
  • Opinion leaders may have developed a reputation of intrinsically motivated referrals, shielding them from potential loss...

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