The Components of Influencers

In Chapter 3 of The Face-to-Face Book, Ed Keller and Brad Fay describe an influencer as "a person who has a greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace" (p. 60). Everyday people can be considered influencers. An influencer does not need a large amount of Facebook friends or Twitter followers. Based on literature and their experience as market researchers, Keller and Fay discuss three key components of an influencer: means, motive and opportunity.

First, Keller and Fay explain why an influencer needs to have the means to stay in contact with others. If a person does not talk to others, it is difficult to spread new ideas. It is important for people to have a strong real-life social network. When an influencer has a large group of people to interact with, the influencer can actively be involved in the conversation. It is also important to talk to others frequently. By talking to others on a regular basis, an influencer can spread a number of new ideas to those people.

Another way to determine if someone is an influencer is motive. Influencers always want to know about the new thing. Influencers will also use various channels to stay informed. They will use social media, attend stores and expos and talk with others about the latest trends. They can talk to others either in-person or through social media. Influencers have to consistently learn about new trends so they can share their thoughts, which keeps them motivated to learn about the newest trends.

Opportunity is the last aspect of an influencer. Influencers must be willing to share their new information with other people. Typically, the opinions of influencers can sway a person's decision. When people read product reviews, they may favor an influencer's review more than other reviews of the same product. That may persuade someone to either purchase or not purchase an item. Also, influencers can use social media to share their thoughts and information. When influencers use social media, more people can find that information and share it with their friends. As a result, even more people learn about this information.

Influencers can impact the decisions of others. They have to have the means, the motive and the opportunity in order to be considered an influencer. They have to talk to people regularly, learn about the latest trends and share new information with others. They do not need a huge following online. It is more important to have more real-life relationships with people. Anyone can become an influencer, as long as they have these three qualities.