Targeting Nearby Influencers: The Acceleration of Natural Triadic Closure by Leveraging Interconnectors

Jacob Goldenberg, Andreas Lanz, Daniel Shapira, Florian Stahl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

On user-generated content platforms, individuals and firms alike seek to build and expand their follower base to eventually increase the reach of the content they upload. The bulk of the seeding literature in marketing suggests targeting users with a large follower base, that is, high-status influencers. In contrast, some recent studies find targeting lower-status influencers to be a more effective seeding policy. This multimethod article shifts the focus from the follower base of the seeding target to the focal content creator. The authors propose accelerating natural triadic closure by leveraging first-degree followers as interconnectors to target second-degree followers, that is, the nearby (low-status) influencers (who are interconnected with the focal content creator). Empirical studies document that this seeding target is much more effective for building and expanding the follower base, compared with targeting influencers who are not interconnected with the focal content creator—that is, the remote (both high- and low-status) influencers—by 2,300% and 46%, respectively. These studies on the acceleration of natural triadic closure are augmented by a preregistered field experiment to obtain convergent validity of the findings.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-130
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Marketing
Volume88
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2024

Keywords

  • data-based simulation
  • field experiment
  • influencer marketing
  • seeding
  • social networking
  • triadic closure
  • unpaid endorsements
  • user-generated content

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • Marketing

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