CorpComms Magazine

Nine out of ten marketing and communications professionals perceive a major difference between influence and popularity, according to a study by PR software company Vocus and digital analyst Brian Solis.

The research suggests that 'How to make friends and influence people' may no longer be the PR manual of choice. 'Liking you and listening to you are two different things,' wrote one respondent. Another echoed the general feeling that influence was a weightier affair than popularity, making a parallel with the distinction between quantity and quality: 'Popularity is an expression of volume while influence is an expression of value.'

Marketing and PR practitioners were more confident of the link between an organisation's reach and the potential to drive outcomes, with 84 per cent of those questioned affirming 'you have to reach an audience in order to motivate them to action.' 

But others suggested a large reach is not always necessary to command sway over an audience, with one noting: 'A person can have only a few contacts and greatly influence just those few'. And 57 per cent of communications professionals identified a person or organisation operating within a small but close network of digital friends and fans as far more likely to effect outcomes than one with a loose connection to millions online.

The old adage 'It's not what you know; it's who you know' is not entirely applicable to the social media realm where quality of content was considered as important as quality of network in making a brand or individual influential. The best way to generate influence online was identified as 'creating, posting and sharing compelling content' by 50 per cent of respondents.

The three factors that drove most people to follow a person or organisation online were the quality of their content, having a personal connection with them or recognising them as a thought leader in their field. 

And if all of that seems too much like hard work, 57 per cent of Marketing and Communications professionals claim they would be prepared to pay for an influencer to exert their sway on the organisation's behalf. Of all levels of the organisation, executive management were the most likely characters to enlist an external influencer to 'drive outcomes', with 63 per cent willing to call in the pursuaders if deemed necessary.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet