Influence is more valuable than ever, and it's not as rare as you think.
Consumers play a major role in promoting brands and contributing to brand health and success. Yet these days, marketers face increasing challenges in competing for consumers' time and attention, let alone their hearts and minds. Traditional marketing methods based on mass communications must contend with media fragmentation, multi-tasking, ad clutter and savvy audiences inclined to skip, avoid and tune out what isn't relevant. Meanwhile, consumer use of peer-to-peer communications tools is flourishing, from online social networks to text messaging, consumer-generated video and instant messaging. Buzz, viral and word-of-mouth marketing has entered the limelight as marketers look for ways to make this phenomenon work for them. Thus, influence is a very hot topic. Pass by any airport newsstand, and you'll see shelves filled with bestsellers on the subject, each with a different theory on who is influential and why.
With more than a decade of research experience in the high tech arena, Ted Smith is research fellow at CNET Networks Inc. He is the co-authors with Kimberly Black.
Despite this confusing variety of opinions, one notion of influence has predominated over the years. Conventional wisdom holds that influence is the exclusive domain of a few highly-connected individuals (roughly 10 percent of the population) who advise the other 90 percent on what to do, see, use and buy. These influencers are considered experts in a particular area who enjoy showcasing their knowledge by passing it along to the others in their network. This model has shaped the way most media and marketing programs are designed and implemented. Countless hours and resources have been spent trying to reach and impress the elusive "Top Ten," while the rest of the public gets the crop-duster approach: a logo and jingle broadcast to the masses.
But what if this notion of influence is incorrect? Maybe the reason the "magic formula" for targeting the elite few is so elusive is because influence isn't magical after at all. Perhaps influence isn't a function of charisma so much as it's a function of human nature and common sense.
Since shedding light on this question could have broad implications for marketers and media companies alike, CNET Networks conducted an extensive study into the nature of influence and the foundation of common marketing models. The study examined:
- The size, makeup and distribution of social networks
- What motivates people to pass along information
- The range and number of topics users are interested in
- The types of information that influencers find valuable
- Where influencers find their information
The study
The study employed a three-part design. Part one consisted of a survey fielded to members of select CNET Networks websites (CNET.com, GameSpot, TV.com, Webshots, BNET, TechRepublic and ZDNet) plus a control group. The survey was designed to provide insight into personal network size and structure. Part two consisted of in-depth interviews designed to obtain a deeper understanding of personal motivations for influence and how information is shared. Part three consisted of a behavioral analysis of site usage.
This research led to some surprising revelations about who the influencers in our society really are, and the most effective ways to connect with them.
Insight #1: Influence is not restricted to an elite few
The size of a person's social network can vary widely. Some are less connected (communicating regularly with 10 or fewer people a month), some are moderately connected (communicating with 11-99 people) and some are highly connected (communicating with 100-plus people).
Common marketing models tend to assume that the highly connected group, though smaller, is the one to target, since they seem to have the ability to spread information more widely. However, the CNET Networks study found that the vast majority of people are moderately connected. And technology plays an important role for networks of all sizes, especially email, which is on par with face-to-face encounters as the primary method of communication, regardless of network size. Since there exists some potential for influence with every connection, which technology can help speed along, focusing only on the hyper-connected few misses a huge opportunity to activate influence with the bulk of the population.
Insight #2: Influence is motivated by a desire to be helpful
According to conventional wisdom, the influential few share their expertise with the masses in order to demonstrate their knowledge. The CNET Networks study revealed a much more basic motivation: People like to be needed and valued, and influencers get a sense of self-worth by giving good advice. What's more, they seek out and customize information they feel will be relevant to specific individuals. Influence isn't about the size of a person's email address book, it's about the care they take in making sure their advice will be useful. When their advice is well received, they have the confidence to expand their efforts as well as the incentive to become better at finding good information. And as they become increasingly well-known as the person to go to for answers, their network grows accordingly.
Insight #3: People can be influential in more than one area
Conventional wisdom also says that influencers are experts in one particular topic. Yet the CNET Networks study found that most people have a variety of interests, and are interested in about the same number of topics regardless of network size. The potential for activating influence is therefore not tied to a specific topic, since people consider themselves well-rounded rather than one-dimensional. So, to assume that a person visiting, say, an automotive site only knows or cares about cars is to miss the greater opportunity of using cars as a conversation starter and bridge to other topics.
Insight #4: Influencers enjoy the "thrill of the hunt"
The study revealed that, along with the validation they get from giving good advice, influencers relish the process of discovery in itself and take pride in their ability to suss out information and distinguish if it's credible and worth passing along. For information to be considered valuable, it must be both unique (not available just anywhere) and trusted (coming from qualified source). A site that can be relied on for this type of information has enormous potential to drive influence.
So, it appears that the notion of the highly connected maven who advises the rest of us - while extremely popular - is flawed. Influence is actually far more universal than previously supposed. It's powered not by a desire to be "in the know," but by the simple human need to feel useful. It's reliant not on expertise but on the ability of influencers to seek out relevant and credible information.
Influence is not about reaching those rare individuals in the top 10 percent. It's not about targeting people at all. It's about targeting the places influential people go and catering to the information and community needs they have.
For a more in-depth account and a full methodology of the research discussed in this article, please visit CNET Networks and request the white paper "Understanding Influence, and Making It Work for You: A CNET Networks Study."
Kimberly Black is vice president, marketing strategy & research insight
for CNET Networks Inc. Read full bio.
Ted Smith is a research fellow at CNET Networks Inc. Read full bio.
