There is a trend for firms to leverage consumers’ interactions on social platforms as part of their communication strategies. A seeding strategy can draw the customers’ attention when social networks of well-connected individuals propagate information. The theory of exchange networks serves as the framework for identifying the optimal seeding strategy. The empirical analysis shows that seeding viral marketing campaigns to individuals with many friends, who in turn have only a few friends, can increase the reach of a viral marketing campaign. In a game-theoretic model developed by an America Scholar, Philip Bonacich, it is optimal to seed people with the highest Bonacich centrality.
Future research could explore other factors that influence its strength, such as relation, timing and campaign content.