Influence the Influencers

No longer is forging relationships with a select group of people within the industry or the companies you do business with enough to find out who can influence others on your behalf.  And no longer is “influence” something that happens within the the social media world, either.

As J-P Le Clerck notes, “Word-of-mouth, referral marketing, and involving influencers in the marketing strategy are tactics that have been existing longer than the Internet itself. What has changed, however, is the amount of digital and social media channels and tools, that people can use to inform themselves, often based on the advice of peers and influencers.”

So how can you tap into these new influencers? Do what Le Clerck suggests and segment them according to a few categories and see what patterns emerge.  

• Content Spreaders
• Brand Champions
• Referral and Recommenders

Breaking them down into these categories can help you see where you need to focus your efforts. Who knows? You might even become an influencer yourself.