A study on factors affecting member participation in a blog

Abstract

As the number of blog users dramatically increases e-businessmen have paid adapted a blog service in their websites giving them the ability to expand market exposure, introduce new products and services, and enhance customer relations in marketing area. The purpose of this research is to suggest key success factors, through analyzing the Cyworld case, which has been highly successful in Korea. To find the key success factors, three sets of audiotaped personal in-depth personal interviews were conducted on 20 people. The first set of interviews was to identify the successful factors influencing users’ motivation and satisfaction in the Cyworld blog, the second was to compare other blogs and online community services, and the third was to verify findings. In some cases follow-up research was conducted to further determine the key factors for Cyworld success. It is found out that Cyworld provides its members with user-oriented service, well-established content and systematical dimensions, SK Communications`` capability, and an adaptive Korean blog. In addition, the identified are referred the factors influencing on the members to be retained and locked in Cyworld. This exploratory study provides a cornerstone in new and highly unstudied blog field. Secondly this study provides managers with strategic issues to maintain member loyalty in blogs, through presenting several key components.Adopting diversified and integrated approach to successful factors of Cyworld could give the wide unmet perspectives on a blog in the dimension of sociology, psychology, and e-business management. Theses critical success factors will give significant guidelines to those who plan to employ blog service in their web sites, make use of business purposes, introduce blogs to other countries, as well as late movers in the blog service industy.