Mark Schaefer | It's all gravy.

image from viralblog.com

In some ways, the opportunities provided by social influence seem almost too good to be true. When I read about “normal” individuals that receive free flights, tech gadgets, and other perks just because of their influence online, my first reaction is skepticism. Typically, rewards like these are discussed in shady business offers during infomercials in late night TV – “You too can win a trip to Jamaica! Just sell 400 sets of knives!” These individuals are not celebrities or political leaders, so how did they come to be treated as such important individuals? The answer is that these people are masters of a very powerful craft. Although anyone may gain access to the platforms these influencers have built careers with, it is naïve to underestimate the difficulty of their success. After reading Return on Influence: The Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing by Mark Schaefer, I discovered the skills that these social gurus have acquired was earned with relevant and unfailing interaction with the members of their community, and a skillful understanding of the art of connections.

image from marketing-game.com

One of the main attributes of a social influencer is continuity. Mitch Joel, a blogger and president of Twist Image is quoted in the text as saying, “Consistency is not so much about sticking to the same train of thought as much as it is about constantly putting your critical thinking out there for the world to discuss and debate” (Schaefer). Consistent posting gains credibility with an audience for two reasons: First, this trait shows the author’s commitment to creating content and providing regular posts for his or her readers. Secondly, the archive of posts shows the writer’s personality and development of opinions over time. This enables new followers to gain a more complete picture of what the author thinks and feels. This diligent work ethic helps not only to create, but also to maintain a strong social community. Within this community, social influencers gain the trust of their followers. The audience looks to these social influencers for advice and opinions on anything and everything from restaurants to marketing strategies.

A second attribute vital to become a social influencer was the willingness to go to great lengths to make connections that will further your influence. Mark Schaefer noted times when he, himself had traveled through the night to attend conferences with peers in his field. It is important to note that not all connections are valued the same. It is true that you never know how a connection will benefit you in the future so all connectivity is valuable. However, identifying other influencers or experts may strengthen your online presence more than an everyday connection. One example I enjoyed was the comparison of Paul Revere and William Dawes. Although both riders warned the community of the oncoming British, Revere has received all of the historical fame for the act. Schaefer attributes this to the fact that Revere was able to ride directly to the leaders of the militia because he had already developed a network of connections, while Dawes visited the homes of regular members of the community. Therefore, identifying leaders when making connections can help to improve online influence more efficiently.

These are just a few of the many skills held by these social influencers. These individuals help to drive markets and transform consumer opinions. The skills needed to gain this level of influence are not limited to connectivity and continuity, but these fundamental elements are essential to become a strong social influencer.

As I have said before, a special thanks to Mark Schaefer for visiting our classroom and sharing his thoughts with us.

This week, Mark Schaefer, the author of the Tao of Twitter and Return on Influence, visited our classroom to discuss some tips for social media and blogging. I thought his tips were really inspiring, and I wanted to share a few that really stuck out to me.

1. Say the most important info first.

As a student, I have been beaten into this model of writing that requires me to start broad, then narrow, then broaden again. This is not useful for blogging. There is such an overload of information online and people don’t want to read useless information. You need to grab their attention fast! Then, you may make the body of your argument in the paragraphs to follow.

2. When tweeting, repost content you have enjoyed reading.

Valuable posts offer content! It can be difficult to constantly have original tweets that are also helpful, or informative. Most articles have a way to tweet about the story to create buzz. Tweeting about quality content you have found gives your followers great info, while also taking away the pressure from you. I personally struggle with tweeting as often as I should, so this tip was especially helpful for me.

3. Create human connections.

As we use these platforms to promote brands, or businesses, or even ourselves, it is important to remember that we are making HUMAN connections. Even though networking can be done online, there is still a person on the other side of the screen. Mark spent a lot of time in his book and in person discussing the importance of helping each other. Being genuinely helpful online to each other will promote anything else that you are involved with. You never know how connections will shape opportunities. It is an idealist way of looking at social media and the internet. What can we accomplish if we all just want to help?

A special thank you to Mark Schaefer for taking time to speak to the Social Media class at the University of Tennessee. I recommend the Tao of Twitter and Return on Influence to anyone who is working with social media. They are quick reads with a lot of great tips. You can also check out his blog at www.businessesgrow.com for more content on social media.