Expert influencers
A consumer who’s mulling over a high-consideration purchase might also consult an expert influencer. An expert influencer is an authority on the product that the consumer is considering purchasing. Also called key influencers, they typically have their own blogs, huge Twitter followings, and rarely know their audiences personally
When I’m considering buying a car, suppose I don’t turn just to friends for advice but also visit some car review Web sites. On these review Web sites, experts rate, rank, and pass judgment on cars. They’re the expert social influencers people who I may not know personally but are recognized as authorities in a certain field. Their influence is derived from the skills or expertise that they or broadly speaking, their organization possess based on training.
Positional influencers
A positional influencer is closest to both the purchasing decision and to the consumer. Called peer influencers sometimes, they are typically family members or part of the consumer’s inner circle. They influence purchasing decisions most directly at the point of purchase and have to live with the results of their family members or friend’s decision as well.
Influencing on digital platforms
Each time people make purchasing decisions, they ask each other for advice. Sometimes, they depend upon an expert’s guidance, and in other cases, that advice comes from people they know.
So why is influence such a big deal today? This is because Internet and social media consumption specifically have hit the mainstream. For example, as of February 2009, the social networking phenomenon Facebook had 175 million users,
People are making more and more purchasing decisions online every day. It’s as natural to buy a product online as it is to go into a physical store. They buy clothes and shoes online, not to mention high-consideration items such as computers, cars (yes, cars), and jewelry. But that’s not all. Not only are consumers buying online, but thanks to social media, they’re conversing, socializing, and influencing each other online in a scale never seen before
Getting Social with Your Marketing
You may need to put a lot of effort into convincing your managers how important the social media platforms are. Many of them may feel that it’s a youth phenomenon, one that doesn’t serve the interests of brands well. The best way to communicate these ideas and techniques to your staff is by organizing lunch-and-learn sessions and bringing in external speakers who can walk your managers through the major social platforms and how best to market on them. Sharing case studies from other brands always resonates well and goes a long way to establishing credibility.
