Power of profile name in online sharing

Theories of social exchange and social identity are extensively introduced to explain the motivation to share online. However, the first step to be social or identified in an online community is to have a profile name because online status and reputation should be assigned to an owner. The effect of profile name on online sharing is rarely explored in the literature, which is crucial in understanding the initial impulse of online sharing. We select a unique platform that enables users to use a profile name or remain anonymous and collect 2,109,555 reviews. Two main findings are drawn from our big data analysis. (1) Users who provide profile names are more involved in online sharing: they write longer text and upload more photos in comparison with anonymous users. (2) Users with profile names gain more recognition from peers. This study concludes by presenting the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.