An Empirical Research on Social Media Marketing and Consumer Responses : Leveraging the Power of Online Opinion Leaders.

Abstract

The emerging corporate marketing activities of endorsing online opinion leaders to promote brands and products have created a new era for digital marketing. In China, online opinion leaders on social media platforms are a crucial communication tool for companies to reach their targeted consumers. This paper developed an original research model and implemented an empirical study on an active Chinese luxury fashion online opinion leader, Gogoboi. The results showed that online opinion leaders influence consumer behaviors toward endorsed brands or products through the para-social relationship and source credibility creation process.