Influencer identification in Twitter networks of destination marketing organizations

Abstract

Purpose Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) use Twitter to promote attractions and special events and to build brand awareness. Tweets of a DMO spread through a complex network of connected accounts. Some of these are more influential than others due to their position within the network. This paper aims to use a network analysis of 14 DMOs to identify the categories of influencers that have the greatest reach. Design/methodology/approach NodeXL was used to download and analyze network data from Twitter during July 2016 for a collection of DMOs promoting US cities. Accounts in the networks were ranked using several measures of relative influence such as the number of times the accounts mentioned/retweeted others or were mentioned in posts about the DMO. The most influential accounts in the network were identified and coded by category. Findings Media, promotional accounts and those of individuals were determined to be influential by each metric considered. Stakeholders such as hotels and restaurants occupy positions of low importance in the networks and generally do not capitalize on opportunities provided by the DMOs. Practical implications DMOs can seek out strategic partnerships with key influencers to maximize their effectiveness. Additionally, stakeholders can improve their Twitter presence by interacting with the DMOs and other influential accounts. Originality/value This paper identifies influencers that can aid in DMOs’ marketing campaigns. It also presents a methodology that can monitor the effectiveness of such campaigns, something absent in the current literature.

Classifying residents' roles as online place-ambassadors

“…Increased community involvement from DMOs and specific social media events that showcase these could be valuable in building further links within and outside local communities, especially since residents as place-ambassadors exhibit high levels of identification with the place. Overall, we echo other researchers (Bokunewicz & Shulman, 2017) in calling for DMOs to adopt a more nuanced and targeted approach to identifying and facilitating key influencers in their social media networks.…”

The online influencers strategies and their impact on consumers decision process

“…Furthermore, according to the Influencers Marketing Hub, influencers are the fastest-growing online customer-acquisition method; from 2016 to 2017, "influencer marketing" as a search term on Google Trends increased by 325%. In recent days, the value of a product is given through tweets and recommendations made by influencers [Bokunewicz, Shulman, 2017].…”

“…Scholars have focused on how and why people shop and what influences them. For instance, brand image influences the consumer's purchase decision [Kumaravel, Kandasamy, 2012] and the recommendation of a product given by tweets by influencers can increase value and help in consumption decision process [Bokunewicz, Shulman, 2017]. Therefore, marketers and brands are adapting to the latest trend of social media and are partnering with influencers for creating a value exchange.…”

Customer review or influencer endorsement: which one influences purchase intention more?

“…Despite the limited research available on influencer endorsements, marketers in many organisations plan to spend heavily on influencers [13]. This study aims to confirm the influence of customer reviews on purchase intention and provide evidence of the relationship between influencer endorsements and purchase intention.…”