Influencers – Must be Relevant

Relevant Influencers and Key Influencers

Our technology guru referred me to an article published by Mashable, written by Gary Lee. The article speaks to our Drum Program in that we have the ability to discover the “key influencers” of any social media sharing campaign.

Our Drum program has the ability to identify and track these key influences. Which is a fantastic opportunity being able to identify this group an offer-by-offer basis? As the article clearly points out, this is NOT a new strategy; “We’ve been grappling with the concept of influence and the authority long before the works “social” and “web” were ever uttered in the same sentence.”

So the good news, we can now find them, track them and reward them as part of your marketing strategy, easy right! WRONG!

Influence is only relevant when put into context.  As an example, if you’ve been following my blog you are definitely interested in emarketing. However, if I was suddenly posting about let’s say baby strollers, it’s unlikely you follow my lead. In fact, I may, in fact, lose influence with you if I strayed too far from my emarketing sphere. Reason, I would no longer be of influence, but would, in fact, be a distraction.

The point is that influences are not the most popular; influences are only relevant to specific reference points. I.e. Hockey, emarketing, baby strollers etc. I have a number of my Twitter followers that follow the television show the bachelor. That’s right that bachelor. In fact one even keeps a weekly blog about the show, the characters etc. Certainly, of NO interest to me, NO influence to me in that category. I am following because I’m watching how the relationships develop, I really don’t understand a strong show following, but they are out there.

As your emarketing team, the takeaway on this is clear, as is the full Mashable article. Influencers are not the most popular kids on the block, they must have relevance in the sphere that you have an interest in. As example Richard Griffin @rgriffinstar of Toronto Star and baseball fame is relevant and an influence to those in baseball, he certainly won’t be an influence on knitting. You’ll have to visit my friend Jacqueline Sava @jacqueline_soak of Soak Wash Inc to be relevant in the knitting sphere.

In this crowded emarketing and social media space, don’t get fooled by all the jargon, the bottom line is still the same, you need to know who your customer is and what they are interested in. Make sure you have relevant influencers… Otherwise “click” and you’re outta here!

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Toronto, February 2011

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