I am impressed with the interactive section on the “People Behind The People” published with the 2009 Time 100. It’s an indicator that even a mass consumer audience is interested in learning about “behind the scenes” influencers. Time did a great job slicing and presenting this content to boot, given their audience. It’s a reminder for all of us that … Read More
HBR: 3 degrees of influence
Influence made The Harvard Business Review 2009 List of breakthrough business ideas. As you know, I’m a fan of the idea that social media may expand traditional spheres of influence by eroding reliance on physical “nearness” (propinquity), to decision-makers. The HBR study by James Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis tightens the noose the other way: “New research shows that personal … Read More
Measuring up while the chips are down
It’s easy to get caught up in what to say, how to say it — even how many characters to say it in — and completely lose sight of the simple truth that our words are just words, unless they’re backed by actions. This is certainly not a new idea. However, it’s being expressed by lots of different people right … Read More
LinkedIn for influencers
LinkedIn is one of several tools that can help influencers pursue their passion for gathering and sharing knowledge. Here’s some insight from my own experiments as well as conversations with influencers: Starting with basics, treat LinkedIn as a directory for being found. Create a complete profile. Write every section of text for fast, easy reading — and with a eye … Read More
Don’t turn decision influencers into fans
It’s tempting to think of influencer programs as master plans for turning objective decision influencers into your company’s bona fide fans. The truth is, that’s not a desirable goal for your influencer programs. Valuable influencers maintain a high level of objectivity. Some call it integrity. Others describe it as independence or ethics. Whatever label you prefer, compromising it is a … Read More
Ray Wang on the analyst life
R “Ray” Wang has posted a synopsis of his role as an industry analyst. Ray is with Forrester Research. His clients include tech buyers and tech providers. As a result, his straightforward summary describes the main roles that many analysts play in the tech industry. I noticed that Ray doesn’t focus on describing his influence. He doesn’t call out his … Read More
Government influencers and business deals
One group of influencers is about to undergo sweeping change in the U.S.: government agencies and regulators. Government influence varies greatly by industry. Yet it is present to some extent in virtually all industries. In the book, Influencer Marketing, Nick and Duncan identify three likely roles for government agencies and regulators: proclaimers – those who mandate or “proclaim” how the … Read More
Events with uber influence: TED, SXSW and Obama inauguration
Some events are so saturated with powerful people discussing powerful ideas that they gain the stature of an uber influencer in their own right. Two of these rare events take place in the western U.S. in the early months of each year: TED and South by Southwest. This year, a 3rd event joins their ranks — and jostles right to … Read More
Coping with influencer attrition in 2009
It’s going to be a tough year to stay current with influencers. Under normal circumstances, Influencer50 research puts the attrition among a company’s top 50 influencers at about 20 percent per year. That means that in a 12-month period, 10 of the 50 will have changed jobs. It doesn’t look as though 2009 will offer normal circumstances. I would expect … Read More
Bert Decker’s Top 10 best and worst communicators for 2008
I know, I know, the good gentleman from our UK office deplores lists. I like lists. Here’s one that’s useful for many of us who analyze influencers and aspire to be influential: Bob Decker’s list of the top 10 best and 10 worst communicators for 2008. The list is completely subjective. There’s no science behind it, no magic. Yet IMHO, … Read More