I BUY YOUR PRODUCT WHEN I FEEL I KNOW YOU: USING BLOG DISCLOSURE TO INFLUENCE CONSUMERS

Abstract

Whilst confidence in certain companies has fallen as a result of the feeling amongst consumers that their private life has been violated, it would seem that at the same time, consumers are very eager to know more about the private life of the bloggers they follow. In return, bloggers are revealing more and more about themselves and displaying their private lives on their blogs. We show that the role of disclosure is a key determinant in consumer persuasion and that the exposure by bloggers of their private lives has a positive influence on their visitors. A quantitative study made of fashion and beauty blog enabled us to assess the impact of such disclosure on confidence in the blog, attitude towards the blog and the brand, and on the various routes to persuasion observed. The managerial implications of this research are presented in conclusion to help managers choose relevant blogs.

Keywords

• : blog
• private life
• perceived disclosure of private life
• confidence