12 months or so spent on Twitter (properly, not fannying around being a spectator: @macka7) and you will discover a fascinating window into the world of influence. Columnists swap and test ideas. Celebrity mates have hungover chats about the night before. Sports stars let slip (KP, of course). Food critics swap notes. Pundit feuds play out (Bacon vs Young, Balding vs Gill). It is the dirty underbelly of influence and it’s at everyone’s fingertips, not just the PRs.
The world of influence has changed. Everyone and his or her dog (or mouse?) is now an Editor and everyone is their own Publicist. The decisions and thinking that used to happen behind closed doors are now played out in public. The editorial filter has given way to the social filter – many of us get our news first from our social network not from the front page of a tabloid or broadsheet. The result is organised chaos. News is shared before it is published and only the stories which most resonate with people emerge from the clutter (check out trendsmap.com for news in your area).
In five – the opportunity for brands:
1. Be ahead of the curve: listen to and chat with the right online influencers and you’ll be part of the editorial process before it begins.
2. Be where the buzz is: with the right set of ‘followees’ you can learn what’s hot, what’s not and be part of new trends before anyone else.
3. Be an Editor: turn your brand into a media channel, gathering, editing and distributing relevant content to your employees, followers & fans.
4. Be an influencer: information is power, power is influence so (sparingly) use your privileged brand and industry knowledge to drive your followers’ agenda.
5. Bypass the newsroom: with good contacts and smart news angles, it's possible to seed and soft-sell stories without a more formal approach to media.
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