Abstract:

The unique defining feature of blogs that differentiate them from ordinary static websites is the interactivity that occurs between the blog readers and also with the blogger. This study represents one of the first attempts to take an empirical look at the relationship between perceived interactivity, attitude towards blogs and attitude towards sponsored posts on personal blogs. It expands on previous studies on the concept of perceived interactivity. It also examines the constructs of attitudes towards blogs and attitudes towards sponsored posts on blogs which were adapted from previous studies on other media, for validity and reliability. Assessment of the model using confirmatory factor analysis and various fit indices indicates good model fit. All the three criteria for convergent validity are met by the model. The measures in the study also exhibit sufficient evidence of reliability and discriminant validity as well. Structural equation modeling indicates that there is a strong relation between perceived interactivity and attitude toward blogs. Furthermore, it was found that attitude toward blogs also has a positive relationship with attitude toward sponsored posts on blog. The findings have implications for marketing communications and advertising effectiveness.