Understanding Opinion Leadership and Motivations to Blog: Implications for Public Relations Practice

Abstract

As the blogosphere continues to grow, understanding the characteristics and motivations of key players is invaluable for public relations practitioners and communicators who deal with message strategy and media outreach. This study investigates opinion leadership among bloggers and blog readers and their motivations to blog. Survey data were obtained from a sample of 552 bloggers and readers, empirically measuring opinion leadership as a trait and as a motivation to blog. The findings suggest that bloggers tend to be opinion leaders, which can help guide the public relations practice in the way it builds relationships with these influentials. These opinion leaders are different from their readers in the motivations that drive their blogging activity. Communication for leadership and entertainment motives appeared to be the strongest motivations for bloggers, while entertainment and information-seeking motivated blog readers. Significant differences were found between bloggers and blog readers with respect to opinion leadership and five out of the six motivational factors studied. Theoretical and managerial implications are further discussed.