“My heroes have always been cowboys.
And they still are, it seems.
Sadly, in search of, but one step in back of,
Themselves and their slow-movin’ dreams.”
– Willie Nelson

Promise yourself and your company that your 2009 influencer program will be much more accountable for results, and much less susceptible to A-listers and marketing heroes.

Achieving greater accountability requires 4 things. Know where your company is. Know where you company wants to be. Chart a sensible map to get from one point to the other. Agree on the milestones you’ll use to guage your progress.

Being less susceptible to A-listers and marketing heroes requires 2 things. Evaluate influencers from the viewpoint of decision-makers. Become well informed about the agendas of your chosen influencers, especially those who promote themselves aggressively.

Factor out ego traps and other influence gaming tactics when determining the reach of an influencer’s influence.

The most valuable influencers are the ones who play a key role in your decision-maker ecosystems.

The rest are colorful cowboys.