As I discussed in my last post, there is a raucous new dinner guest at the media table and that guest is the consumer (AKA "user").
A fickle and sometimes cranky type, consumers are flexing their muscles and expressing themselves in myriad ways – causing us agency types (ad, PR, digital, whatever; see Blackshaw’s ClikckZ article "Who Owns the Influencer?") – to tie ourselves up in knots as we:
1) realize that life is no longer so simple, safe and secure as we once understood; and
2) bemoan our loss of control over the brand messages – control that just yesterday seemed so firmly in our clutches.
A fiercer and more terrifying breed than the consumer is the consumer influencer. These people can be of the old school, off line variety – Gladwell’s Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen, or Godin’s Sneezers – the hyper connected and opinionated savants that are knowledgeable, credible, passionate, and outspoken about their product choices.
Add a dash of tech savvy and production values and the figurative network nodes become literal nodes, as these same people realize that they can amplify their reach and influence through the miracles of social media and the new Web. In short, they can become digital influencers.
So, back to Blackshaw’s question: Who Owns the Influencer? From my own, PR myopic viewpoint, I’d rather address the question: "What can PR do about users and digital influencers?"
I think the way forward becomes more clear once we understand a few simple rules:
1) It’s a New World, Get Used to it (and that is not necessarily a bad thing)
In the good old days – meaning less than 10 years ago – audiences that we wanted to connect with were passive readers, viewers and listeners. Further, to connect with these audiences we needed to first persuade the media that our stories were newsworthy.
Today audiences are online and in everyones’ faces in growing numbers. They are talking back, telling us exactly how they feel (are we listening?) They are joining online communities that match their interests, jobs and viewpoints.
The art of PR targeting and media list building has typically been a very top down, broad stroked affair, characterized by the mindset: "go where you think the readers and viewers are, and, when in doubt, high circulation trumps all."
These days it is possible to target with micro precision.
And, guess what: you no longer need the media to carry your message. Sure, their coverage is still important and can earn precious credibility points. But it is no longer the only way to communicate with your audiences (on the other hand, communicating directly carries with it a whole new set of risks and responsibilities – in short, a whole new set of rules).
2) There’s a New Influencer in Town
We can also benefit by understanding that digital influencers might not look or act like the influencers of old. This is the most obvious in the consumer products world, but also applies to B2B products and services.
Sure, it still works wonders to get Gartner’s blessing (if you are in IT) and the vaunted Magic Quadrant ranking. Yet certain bloggers are growing in importance and should not be ignored, for example if you are in rich media tools, conferencing, and collaboration (Robin Good of MasterNewMedia and Kolabora blogs), publishing and content technologies (John Blossom of ContentBlogger) and mobile technologies (Ajit Jakor’s Open Gardens blog).
In addition to blogging, these people write books, speak at conferences, consult with and advise clients, and in some cases are also at the same time traditional analysts.
In the coming days and weeks I will be writing more about how to factor in digital influencers into your PR campaigns and strategies.
