Influencers- Who are they?

This past week in class we discussed the concept of Influencers and specifically who they are, why they are important, and how to find them. 

Influencers is a new word for a really simple concept. Influencers are people that you follow that seem to be ahead of the curve. When they say something, you listen. These people tend to have a lot of followers.  I'm sure we can all think of at least one person that would fit this description. However an Influencer is more than just someone who is ahead of the curve and popular. According to the article Unveiling the New Influencers by Brian Solis they are also good listeners. They not only are followed by a lot of people, they follow a lot of people in return. Influencers are masters in a certain area, they know what they are talking about.  Influencers aren't just hyperconnected nobodies. They are people who have a voice, have expertise, and listen just as much as they speak.

Now that we who these people are, the question of why they are important may arise. Well, its quite simple. If as a company you can connect with them, they can become an incredibly useful tool in both finding out with the public is saying and communicating with that public. Communication today is not what it once was. People refuse to simply wait to be fed a message, they have opinions and they are going to share them. Influencers can act as a pulse for the public and a link to talk directly to them.

It is obvious now that Influencers are important and that companies should seek them out. But how can they be found. You need to find those people that talk, listen, and are connected. That is not a quick process. Luckliy there are programs to help you in your search several of which are mentioned in Solis's article. They make the process a lot easier but they can't finish the work for you. You need to constantly monitor for new Influencers and make sure the ones you have found are still relevant. Its an ongoing process but its a fruitful one.

-M