Can Your Business Have 1 Million Friends? Understanding and Using Blogs as One-to-One Mass Media

41 Pages Posted: 25 Apr 2012 Last revised: 4 Feb 2015

See all articles by Soyean (Julia) Kim

Soyean (Julia) Kim

Boston University - School of Management

Barbara A. Bickart

Boston University, Questrom School of Business

Frederic F. Brunel

Boston University

Seema Pai

Boston University - Questrom School of Business

Date Written: April 17, 2012

Abstract

In this chapter, we develop a theoretical framework that explains how blogs can be categorized based on audiences’ perceptions and how bloggers use different strategies to shape or shift their audiences’ perceptions and increase the persuasiveness of their messages. We posit that bloggers use two distinguishable communication strategies: (a) developing and sustaining an illusion of relationship between the blogger and the reader in order to individualize the communication and (b) maintaining a level of ambiguity in their commercial interests in order to conceal the commercial nature of some blogs. We describe the tactics underlying the use of these strategies as well as the efficacy and ethics of these practices.

Keywords: blogs, online marketing, social media, online branding, relationships, communication strategy

Suggested Citation

Kim, Soyean (Julia) and Bickart, Barbara A. and Brunel, Frederic F. and Pai, Seema, Can Your Business Have 1 Million Friends? Understanding and Using Blogs as One-to-One Mass Media (April 17, 2012). Boston U. School of Management Research Paper No. 2012-13, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2045346 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2045346

Soyean (Julia) Kim

Boston University - School of Management ( email )

595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
United States

Barbara A. Bickart (Contact Author)

Boston University, Questrom School of Business ( email )

United States
617-353-3458 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://smgnet.bu.edu/mgmt_new/profiles/BickartBarbara.html

Frederic F. Brunel

Boston University ( email )

595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
United States
617 353 4609 (Phone)
617 353 4098 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://smgnet.bu.edu/mgmt_new/profiles/BrunelFrederic.html

Seema Pai

Boston University - Questrom School of Business ( email )

595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA MA 02215
United States

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