Fine Print

I just helped to present a Lunch and Learn for around 10 colleagues; think it went pretty well — we had some good questions thrown at us and no one was sneaking a look at their watch. The theme was “Digital Media Outreach” and how to identify and engage with influencers in particular industries. One of my roles here.

We demonstrated certain online tools and applications that made the job easy. But, we also explained that a lot of the research is just plain good-old-fashioned donkey work, rolling the sleeves up and taking the time to zero in on the results, and digging deeper. It still takes a human touch to sift through a piece of code’s initial findings.

So, as I’m in a generous mood, here’s my list of tips on how to spot a social media influencer. Grab a coffee and settle into a comfy seat before you read it if you want:

1) Do they respond?

So, hope that helps when you start to do your own research. Pass it around, it’s a freebie. That one step is how to spot a social media influencer.

When you … ask them a question; mention them in a blog; disagree with them; need some free advice that helps you to do your job better; request a referral to another source if they don’t know the answer; criticize their product or service; recommend them to someone in your contact list — Do they respond?

Those people, in my mind, are the social media influencers.

Off topic link of the day #1: A great way to relaunch a website. Blow the c**p out of the old one with guns. (Hat tip: AdFreak.)

Off topic link of the day #2: Is there a Canadian equivalent of Agency Spy?

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada