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This study investigates whether and how self-motivation, peer influence and celebrities endorsement impact people’s microblog uses and the advertising persuasion effectiveness of organizational microblog (OMB). An online survey was conducted to investigate microblog users (N=278) in major cities of China. The map of general microblog usage pattern has been outlined from the empirical data. Factor analysis identifies five aspects of self-motivations of microblog uses (namely, social surveillance, social interaction, self expression, social recognition and entertainment).
The study finds that self-motivations of social interaction and entertainment, peer influence, celebrities endorsement are contributive predictors in explaining the level of intensity in microblog (in sum, adjusted R2=54.2). As for advertising effect of organizational microblog, the study finds that there is no direct causal relation between microblog usage intensity and the OMB advertising effects, which confirms that the preference of the form of media and intensity of usage does not simply guarantee a high quality of advertising effects within the uprising new media channel. While self-motivations of social surveillance and interaction with others, as well as the perceived endorsement of certain opinion leaders (celebrities) can positively enhance the persuasion effects at the attitude level; social interaction and celebrity endorsement can positively impact the advertising effects at the behavioral level and the motivation of entertainment is found a negative predictor.