I think we have all had the dream where someone we think is super important tells the world that who we are or what we’re doing is awesome beyond belief. It’s crazy I know, but it’s universal — the opinions of others can greatly impact our business and our lives.
Influence marketing is an art and science. The art is the crafting and creation of content that adds value to people’s lives. The science is the tactics and tools of building tribes and followers. — Jeff Bullas
I think back to the moment I realized that the preferences of one individual could influence the actions of a large group: my sophomore year in high school. Wade Adams was the coolest person I knew in my school. He was handsome by the standards of many at the time, a gifted athlete, liked by jocks, geeks, the theatre folks and the stoners alike. Wade had a power that I’m not entirely sure he was aware of. For example, when he decided to start wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses while everyone else was wearing Vuarnets, a popular sunglass brand of my youth. Within months, Vuarnets became passé in our crowd, and almost the entire school looked like they were extras on the set of Risky Business. I never ended up wearing Ray-Bans, but I still remember the impact that one person had on my tribe. He was able to influence what people wore, the slang words we used and the parties that people wanted to attend. That lesson has stuck with me to this day.
Most human beings rely on others to determine what is important and worth paying attention to. Just take customer reviews as an example: 90% of customers say buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. This is somewhat illogical when you think about it. We place more value on the opinions of people we have never met than those we know in real life. From a marketer’s perspective, this is a dream scenario — being able to cultivate the support of influential people that your customers will listen to. It all boils down to knowing who your ideal customer is, how they buy and who can influence them during that process.
Engage influencers before you need them. Be helpful. Promote their stuff first. Mutual value increases receptivity.” — http://ctt.ec/DU49r
Recently, I re-read a book by one of my favorite self-improvement gurus, Dale Carnegie, titled How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you haven’t read it, go buy it. The core message is that success comes from understanding people and influence. It’s a timeless concept that will never go out of style. The slides below were inspired in part by that book — a fun collaboration with my friend and fellow marketer Barry Feldman. We asked 22 kick-ass marketers for their best ideas on influencer marketing and ended up with marketing gold. Let me know what insights you have on the topic.
photo credit: marsmet541 via photopin cc
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