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The moderating effect of blogger social influence and the reader’s experience on loyalty toward the blogger

Beñat Urrutikoetxea Arrieta (University of Granada, Granada, Spain)
Ana Isabel Polo Peña (University of Granada, Granada, Spain)
Cinta Martínez Medina (University of Granada, Granada, Spain)

Online Information Review

ISSN: 1468-4527

Article publication date: 3 December 2018

Issue publication date: 17 May 2019

1674

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the moderating effects of the social influence of the blogger and the extent to which the reader has experience of that blogger, on loyalty toward the blogger, via two variables: blogger interactive practices (BIPs) and blogger credibility.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative empirical study was undertaken to estimate the research model. Structural equations were employed.

Findings

The results show that blogger social influence moderates the relationships between BIPs and intention to recommend the blogger and blogger credibility; and between credibility and intention (to recommend the blogger and to follow their suggestions). Meanwhile, the extent of the reader’s experience of the blogger moderates the relationships between BIPs and intention.

Practical implications

The present work offers criteria that may be of value to bloggers and firms in assessing the extent to which the blogger’s activities are effective in terms of achieving reader loyalty. The proposed variables are measured objectively online, using the Klout Index of social influence and the extent of the reader’s experience of the blogger (inferred from the number of bloggers followed by the reader).

Originality/value

Blogs are considered a mechanism to manage information overload in social media, and they are recognized for their influence on the reader’s decision-making process. The study contributes to the knowledge-base by proposing two moderating variables of loyalty-formation: blogger social influence and the extent of the reader’s experience of the blogger.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the National Research Project ECO-2012-39217 by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) for the financial support. The authors thank for the finance received from the National Research Project EC02015-65306-R by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain).

Citation

Urrutikoetxea Arrieta, B., Polo Peña, A.I. and Martínez Medina, C. (2019), "The moderating effect of blogger social influence and the reader’s experience on loyalty toward the blogger", Online Information Review, Vol. 43 No. 3, pp. 326-349. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-02-2016-0049

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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