Comments on: The issues with determining “influence” http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2008/12/11/the-issues-with-determining-influence/ Thoughts on marketing, innovation, social networking, new products and the impact of technology on all those thingies Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:00:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Tom O'Brien http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2008/12/11/the-issues-with-determining-influence/comment-page-1/#comment-2690 Tom O'Brien Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:21:24 +0000 http://www.emergencemarketing.com/?p=1170#comment-2690 Francois: I agree with Nathan above - that influence in contextual. In rec.windsurfing I am a maven (and influential) but in the digital TV forums I am just another newbie asking for help. Also, I think there is a huge mistake in chasing influencers. It is like staking your video campaign on viral videos. Better to do the right thing all the time than to try to kiss the influencer's asses. TO'B Francois:

I agree with Nathan above – that influence in contextual. In rec.windsurfing I am a maven (and influential) but in the digital TV forums I am just another newbie asking for help.

Also, I think there is a huge mistake in chasing influencers. It is like staking your video campaign on viral videos. Better to do the right thing all the time than to try to kiss the influencer’s asses.

TO’B

]]> By: Nathan Gilliatt http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2008/12/11/the-issues-with-determining-influence/comment-page-1/#comment-2689 Nathan Gilliatt Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:08:44 +0000 http://www.emergencemarketing.com/?p=1170#comment-2689 I've picked up a few ways to focus the analysis of influence in my conversations with the "listening" companies (tracking that market is my specialty). First is the observation that influence is contextual--it operates within a topic or field. So, for example, TechCrunch is influential for web startups but probably not for fashion. On-topic posts and links contribute to identifying relevant sites. Second, influence flows through networks--influencers can influence other influencers. So a blogger might reach other bloggers (or other media) who reach the intended audience. Influence analysis needs to go beyond one degree of separation. Third, some companies consider audience composition in determining on-topic influence. This may be more of a services story than a tools story so far, but M&A activity by Nielsen and TNS suggest that we'll see more value from combining metrics soon. Mix, stir, repeat. There's a lot more to influence than a Technorati number. But eventually, yes. All of these tools put the information in front of a person who makes the ultimate decision. I’ve picked up a few ways to focus the analysis of influence in my conversations with the “listening” companies (tracking that market is my specialty). First is the observation that influence is contextual–it operates within a topic or field. So, for example, TechCrunch is influential for web startups but probably not for fashion. On-topic posts and links contribute to identifying relevant sites.

Second, influence flows through networks–influencers can influence other influencers. So a blogger might reach other bloggers (or other media) who reach the intended audience. Influence analysis needs to go beyond one degree of separation.

Third, some companies consider audience composition in determining on-topic influence. This may be more of a services story than a tools story so far, but M&A activity by Nielsen and TNS suggest that we’ll see more value from combining metrics soon.

Mix, stir, repeat. There’s a lot more to influence than a Technorati number. But eventually, yes. All of these tools put the information in front of a person who makes the ultimate decision.

]]> By: Rob van Alphen http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2008/12/11/the-issues-with-determining-influence/comment-page-1/#comment-2681 Rob van Alphen Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:19:01 +0000 http://www.emergencemarketing.com/?p=1170#comment-2681 I think it does not matter "that" much which audience a blogger appeals to. When ideas are valuable they will spread, and it will be noticed & picked up by the rest of the blogosphere. Though influence is important and is definitely an asset, it must not be overrated. Eventually it is the message that will determine whether the information will spread or not. Interesting (academic) research on influence can be found here.. (bit heavy material :p) http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/paper/html/id/359/A-Framework-for-Modeling-Influence-Opinions-and-Structure-in-Social-Media http://twitter.com/Adgenius I think it does not matter “that” much which audience a blogger appeals to. When ideas are valuable they will spread, and it will be noticed & picked up by the rest of the blogosphere.

Though influence is important and is definitely an asset, it must not be overrated. Eventually it is the message that will determine whether the information will spread or not.

Interesting (academic) research on influence can be found here.. (bit heavy material :p)
http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/paper/html/id/359/A-Framework-for-Modeling-Influence-Opinions-and-Structure-in-Social-Media

http://twitter.com/Adgenius

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