Describe how opinion leaders can be formed and found on the Internet. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using opinion leaders on the Web. How would this form of opinion leadership be different from any other way of opinion leadership (if at all)?
Opinion leaders are known to be the influencers. Their views and opinions are highly trusted. Their opinion influences the opinions of the public over many issues like political, economic, social etc. These leaders can be reached out on the Internet as they have the wide following on social media, and hence they are capable enough to trend on social media trends.
A social media under after verification can be considered as an opinion leader. For instance, Twitter, YouTube, or even a Facebook user with huge followers can be considered as opinion leader.
These opinion leaders can be easily found on the social media platforms depending on the credibility, achievements and years of experience.
The advantage of opinion leaders on the Internet are as follows:
- They put a significant influence on followers
- They have a thorough knowledge of their fields
- Followers highly trust them
- They serve as a useful tool in marketing
The disadvantage of using opinion leaders on the Web can be highlighted as follows:
- Their identification is difficult at the local level
- Only limited public get influenced by them
This form of internet opinion leadership is different from the other opinion leaders in a way and authority varies from that of other opinion leaders.