Online Interpersonal Influence: A Framework

Interpersonal information sources are often used by consumers, and indubitably influence their decision-making processes. Recently, terms such as permission marketing, opt-in marketing, viral marketing and collaborative filtering have been coined to describe different ways in which the Internet can be used to communicate with consumers. These concepts and tools all have in common the use of interpersonal influence as a persuasion technique. The objective of this paper is to provide a framework for online interpersonal influence. To this effect, we first review the role of interpersonal influence in consumers’ decision-making processes and search activities. Second, we present a classification of the different types of interpersonal information sources found on the Internet. Third, we review research results in the area of consumer behavior to identify the moderating variables that affect the influence of interpersonal information sources and we propose a set of propositions for online interpersonal influence. The paper concludes with managerial implications and research avenues.