Influence should not only be determined by the number of people someone can reach but by their level of passion and engagement in the category you are asking them to spread the word about. In her latest posting, social media blogger Shannon Paul highlights the importance of finding the right people for your online influencer campaign and I couldn’t agree more. Just because P Diddy has more than a million Twitter followers doesn’t make him the ideal person to spread the word for your new product launch (unless it’s a product that’s relevant to him and his followers).
Bloggers and social media influentials are becoming bombarded with irrelevant press releases and invitations to spread the word about products they don’t care about and they will end up affecting their own integrity in the long run. You wouldn’t waste your time placing an ad for a luxury yacht in a magazine aimed at students; think of your social media placing as another valuable media opportunity and take the time to think about who you approach.
As Shannon says: “Make friends with those online participants and content creators who truly care about your company, your mission and your brand, or who are passionate about something aligned with the mission of your business (some might call this common ground). That may not get the short term spike in online buzz you’re looking for, but you may just spark a real, lasting movement.”
Quality, not quantity is the key.
Tags: Twitter
