MediaPost Publications - Study: 'Influencers' Possess Less Clout
Understanding influence is a key component to successfully impacting the attention you can secure for your product or service.
MediaPost just covered a survey that discounts the clout of influencers. The survey found that nearly 80% of people would be more likely to consider buying products recommended by real-world friends and family, than by well-known bloggers (23%). Not surprising.
I don’t disagree with the findings, but the conclusion baffles me. the research firm suggests, “marketers might have to reconsider who the real influencers are out there.” Sure a person might be more likely to buy based on a friend’s suggestion than what Mike Arrington or Robert Scoble say, but last I checked, Mike and Robert have a LOT of “friends.” Discounting them as influencers because they may not hold quite as much sway as a direct relationship seems to me to be a bit shortsighted.
