The social web has created a new generation of superstars. They aren’t film stars, they aren’t always polished and beautiful, and you won’t find them in US Weekly. Instead, they rise to the top because of the content they produce. There are as many different paths to the top as there are people. You might be be the funniest guy in the room (think @shitmydadsays), have an area of expertise (i.e. @scobleizer), or in some way be producing something better than anyone else.
The bottom line though, is that many “everyday” people have developed a tremendous amount of influence and winning them over is often the most important marketing strategy a company or brand can have.
I want to bring this to light in my SXSW Panel: Influencers Will Inherit the Earth. Quick, Market, Them! There are hard questions associated with reaching influencers. How do you find the right people? How can you offer them something they’ll actually be interested in? How does overall influence differ from topical influence and which matters more?
I’d love it if you could vote for the panel and please let me know any comments you have or who else you’d like to see talking about this subject.
