Parasocial interaction of the CEO as an opinion leader in the social media: A study on twitter

Firstly presented by Horton and Wohl (1956), and shaped and grown in the technology-based media channels between the audience and the media character, the concept of parasocial interaction has begun to be used to reach and influence the masses in the fields of communication and marketing due to the effects that are created by the decisions of the user. According to Perse and Rubin (1989), with the parasocial interaction, viewers see their favorite media figures as their close friends, role models or advisors. As a result of technological developments, social networking sites that enable the creation of parasocial interaction have become valuable communication channels preferred by media influencers, celebrities, opinion leaders, and political and corporate leaders. With 350 million users (Global Digital Report, 2018), Twitter has become one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world and has become one of the priority platforms used by organizations to reach their target audiences. Leaders, who are in line with and the spokespersons of their organizations, interact with the target audience and stakeholders and by doing so they can have an impact on them. On the other hand, the leaders who use the sphere of influence correctly are becoming to be positioned as opinion leaders in society. Therefore, the need for leaders, who can make an impact to change the attitudes and behaviors of the target audience of the institutions and who make sustainable communication in social networks is increasing. Although there are many studies on social network communication of institutions, in-depth research studies on the use of social networks by Corporate CEOs, who can be regarded as opinion leaders in the society, have just started. Especially, as Turkey is among the top ten countries in the world in using social networks, no study has been conducted about the social network communication styles of CEOs in Turkey, their parasocial interactions and their impact on the public relations activities of the organization. The main purpose of this study is to determine the responsive or assertive communication styles of CEOs in Turkey in the social network and to indicate the contribution of parasocial interaction to the organization's public relations activities. Also, how the power of parasocial interaction is influenced by demographic variables such as age and gender was examined. The findings reveal the necessity and importance of the CEO's active and strategic communication on social networking sites to improve trust and satisfaction in the company. At the same time, this study also proposes social network communication strategies to guide the leaders.