The (Online) Tipping Point: Influencers, Who are They?

I've been thinking a lot about influencers lately so this has become another "Erin read good book and wants to learn more by applying it to her life" post.  As I stay up for the better part of the night writing a paper related to this very topic, I'm going to throw out some comments (brain vomit) here as well.  Might as well make it a two for one right!?

In the real world, influencers are built based on experiences, knowledge, and by having the right resources, but online, we all start at the same level.  No one is born into Twitter with 1,000 followers.  No one magically has the skills to create blogs that are all of a sudden linked to from all over the interwebs.  No one is trusted. No one knows you. 

So how do online influencers become, well, influential? For this, influencers are a mix of the types of people referenced in The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (connectors, mavens, salesmen). Here's what I think matters in becoming an influener, but I'd love to hear your opinions also!

Timeliness: If you are the first one to share a link you are going to have an impact on those that click.  You have now earned a point towards becoming an influential person for that particular subject/event/etc.  Having the ability to find and share has become almost as influential as writing the content itself.


Relevancy: You need to share the right stuff.  I wouldn't come here and write a full post about puppy cam even though I might really want to express how much I love it.  I come here to write about advertising, media, branding, and the interwebs.  I share ideas that are relevant for me and you. 

Friends: Without people to share things with, you're still nothing.  You could have the best ideas in the world and if no one knows, they might as well not exist.  So uh, good thing we have at least 3 loyal readers. (Thanks Ben, John, Dirk, and Sylvie!)

Energy: I could have said stamina, longevity, or experience, but it's more about being excited about what you're doing and having the drive to continue doing that.  If you hit it and quit it you probably shouldn't have even warmed up.  Stick with it, establish yourself, and when you have an idea go for it. 

Passion: If you aren't truly passionate about what you're doing, people will see right through you.  This can mean having strong opinions, battling with other bloggers, or just geeking out about something that you love.  Your passion will be shared with those that you connect with. Or in other words, just <3.


Ok that's it, your turn. Comments. Ready, break!

The (Online) Tipping Point

I'm a little late to The Tipping Point party (even my kid sister has read it) but as I'm cruising through it I've been thinking a lot about the concepts and how they relate to online relationships and social media.  Do Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen play the same role online as they do in traditional settings? Can someone display these characteristics only online?  Does social media reflect false ideas that someone is really a Connector?  What about the Law of the Few, is that present online also?

I'm going to share some of my thoughts as I continue reading the book.  Add your comments/rants/love notes in the comments! Today is The Law of the Few and Connectors.

From the day many of us took Intro to Marketing, we learned that often times 20% of customers are responsible for 80% of sales.  Chris Anderson (editor of Wired, author of The Long Tail, and my future husband) just posted another related article about 'freemium' business models and how many companies are now supporting themselves by only charging 10% of the people using their service and giving the other 90% a similar, usually reduced, version for free.  I began to notice a similar trend with my Twitter account.  It's become clear that some of the people I follow tweet far more often than others.  A very small percentage are responsible for the great majority of Twitter posts.  This is another real life example of the unbalanced ratio that drives trends, business models, and social media.  The Law of the Few supports this Twitter idea, as well as Facebook - You know the people that are updating their status, posting pictures, breaking up and getting married every half hour.  These few people are responsible for the majority of activity in news feeds.  But I don't think that these few are necessarily the Connectors.

To be a Connector you have to be experienced.  Your days will likely consist of a variety of activities, many of them online since it is 2008, but many of them will have originated from face to face conversation.  Connectors that are online may not have the most Facebook friends, but they're the ones who have the most pictures tagged of them with other people.  They are getting tweeted at, their blogs are being commented on and they continue the conversation online and offline.  To be a digital Connector only, you would have to rival the daily biz, AgencySpy, or Dooce.  But I would venture to guess that these Connectors are even more powerful in real life.  Online Connectors are extending their relationships from real life.  I could advise to be wary of faux online Connectors, but they will never have the full power that true Connectors have.

Next up: Mavens and Salesmen. Hang in there.