Influencing the influencers
Influencers are a lifelong presence. Our first influencers, our parents, govern our preferences and ideas for years. And then as we mature, we seek out other influencers, maybe not consciously – but we are heavily influenced in our decisions.
That’s why Capstrat always considers influencers when building a campaign. Targeting a small group of influencers might be the best way to improve campaign efficiency. Influencers might also be the most avid supporters for an issue or a brand.
For marketers, influencers can be right under your nose. If you’re trying to create brand ambassadors, we believe the first place to start is with your employees. In the end, employees are ultimately responsible for the brand experience. Enrolling employees is inherent to the success of a new initiative or campaign.
Understanding influencers is critical in sales enablement – particularly for business-to-business purchases in technology, health care or professional services. In these situations, professionals ranging from the C-suite to information technology professionals weigh-in on purchase decisions.
Influencers are at the heart of any public policy. Sometimes the key to success on a particular policy issue is identifying, understanding and mobilizing a relatively small group of influencers.
Influencers can also change over time. Take health care as an example. Health care influencers abound, from physicians and nurses to caregivers and friends. But increasingly as social networks converge around disease conditions, these communities and very vocal individuals are having greater influence. This is presenting a conundrum for some in the health care community and new opportunities for others.
At Capstrat, understanding influencers and how to reach them is a key part of our diagnostic approach. Here are some of the questions we ask:
- Who are the thought leaders in our category? What are they talking about?
- How does the decision making process work for our end user? Who influences the end consumer throughout the course of decision-making?
- How do we define the influencers? It’s not enough to use the term influencers. We have to be able to describe them.
- What motivates the influencer? Are there financial, prestige, respect or cost factors? Are they trying to make their own lives easier or better?
- How do we reach these influencers? Where do they congregate online, offline?
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.
Leave a Comment