Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
In this paper, we consider the network as an alternative communication channel to undirected advertising in the market. The main distinctive feature of the network-embedded transaction is the interdependency of buyers' purchasing behavior. Since most transactions in a network are made sequentially, earlier consumers are more valuable to a seller. We characterize the optimal behavior of a seller and consumers in a network. A seller's strategy of paying referral fees can be understood as a way to price discriminate between more valuable consumers and less valuable ones. Numerical simulations demonstrate that social networks may be either over-utilized (if the referral cost is high) or under-utilized (if the referral cost is low).