Why chasing social media ‘influencers’ is a waste of time
Say goodbye to the idea that if you could just get that one famous person to say something positive about you, things are going to happen.
Pursuing the “big influencers” alone is probably one of the biggest fallacies on the Web.
Put aside the challenge of how to find influencers and let’s consider what “influencer” means. To me, it’s someone who has earned ongoing attention of an audience or community and can motivate others to action. There’s often a disconnect between the appearance of influence and those in a position to act on it.
Mass influence exists, but it’s often confused with popularity. They’re not the same thing.
Influencers with mass appeal are easy to find and get found often. They get pummeled with requests by others to do things: share this, promote that. Some of them take up those offers and lose credibility by over-promoting. While they have a significant community watching and listening to them, the ability to inspire action is often lost.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
