With more than 2 billion people online worldwide, there shouldn’t be a shortage of influencers ready to tout your organization’s message. It’s discovering the key voices that really influence your market that’s the challenge, say Gary Lee, CEO of mBLAST, an influencer solutions provider. “It’s a lot harder to figure out who is really influencing your market, and how to separate these voices from all the noise,” says Lee. By understanding the following rules of influence, communicators can get a good head start.
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Rule 1: Influencers must have topical relevancy for your market to listen to them.
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Rule 2: Popularity does not necessarily equal influence.
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Rule 3: Influencers’ authority must be earned, not faked. It cannot be voted in by your mother, great aunt and friends.
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Rule 4: People’s influence should be measured by segment/ topics. It’s rare to find a single influence score that really is helpful in marketing and PR.
- Rule 5: Measure continuously. Scores may constantly change, so look at influence over time.
PR News subscribers can read how Intel armed influencers with tools in the case study: Intel Amplifies Tech Brand Messaging, Gains Third-Party Credibility via Intel Advisors Influencer Group.