How online reviews create social network value: the role of feedback versus individual motivation

摘要

Online reviews, like those compiled at Yelp, Amazon, Epinions and Tripadvisor, allow consumers to create social network value for other consumers, and to influence the success or failure of reviewed businesses. These reviews, produced without compensation, are a prominent example of how new social media have altered the challenges facing strategic marketing. Although the production of online reviews has exploded, little is known about what motivates ordinary consumers to produce reviews. We surveyed Yelp review writers, and then compiled an archive of Yelp restaurant reviews and the feedback received on those reviews. This data-set enabled a longitudinal analysis of the role of feedback as an external motivation for review production. Although receiving positive feedback increases the probability that a novice reviewer will continue to produce reviews, such feedback had no detectable effect on the productivity of established reviewers. Results point to an emerging segment of consumers who have a need to publish and reach a mass audience.