My Definition of an Influencer

First let me say that I am SO over the use of the word “influencer”. It seems everyone is scrambling to a) be one b) access one or c) both.

The rise of Klout.com, and firestorm of opinions around it, only adds fuel to the Influence fire. (And for the record, I’ve actually gone to the Klout site a time or two, promptly gotten confused by their metrics, and closed it.)

But since “influencer” is apparently going to be the word of 2011, I thought I would share my definition of someone who has it in my world.

Sarah’s definition of an Influencer:

Short definition: Anyone who has a positive impact on my life. (Yes, I know there are negative influencers, but that is a conversation for another day.) This can include clients, my children, friends, colleagues, people who write interesting stuff or even the garbage man.

Longer definition: I am most greatly influenced by those who give me a reason to care.

I’m not really interested in how famous they are. (In fact, I know a lot of famous people who seem to contribute amazing stuff in the social media world but IRL they are self-absorbed jack-asses.) I’m interested in how they make my life and/or my business deeper, richer, better, sweeter.

Selfishly, I’m influenced by the fact that they are interested in me. Unselfishly, I’m influenced by the fact that I am interested in them.

So there it is. My definition of an “influencer”. What’s yours?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 at 10:37 am and is filed under Uncommon Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

http://twitter.com/marksherrick Mark Sherrick

I’m not big on Klout either….or twitalyzer or whatever other site is out there. Probably because they all tell me I suck at Twitter…lol.

to me, and influencer is anyone who makes you want to make a change to your norm. Its got both negative and positive sides, but of course the positive side is what’s brought up more often than not, but there is plenty of negative influence out there, and in your own head…staying in bed that extra ten minutes, watching tv instead of doing work, etc.

Positive influence is more powerful, though. Positive influence NEEDS to be more powerful, because it often makes things harder before they get better…but when they do get better, they’re fantastic.
http://twitter.com/marksherrick Mark Sherrick

I’m not big on Klout either….or twitalyzer or whatever other site is out there. Probably because they all tell me I suck at Twitter…lol.

to me, and influencer is anyone who makes you want to make a change to your norm. Its got both negative and positive sides, but of course the positive side is what’s brought up more often than not, but there is plenty of negative influence out there, and in your own head…staying in bed that extra ten minutes, watching tv instead of doing work, etc.

Positive influence is more powerful, though. Positive influence NEEDS to be more powerful, because it often makes things harder before they get better…but when they do get better, they’re fantastic.
http://www.twitter.com/joshchandler Josh Chandler

Sarah,

The metrics of a computer driven algorithm are no match for the human algorithm.

I don’t judge a person’s influence purely from a number’s standpoint. I actually go and visit their profiles and blogs and see how engaged they are with the community.

If they have a wide number of @Replies on Twitter, plenty of comments on their blog etc I know they are an influential expert to that community.

You can never be influential to everyone. Only to those who are like-minded and share the same communities as you.
http://www.twitter.com/joshchandler Josh Chandler

Sarah,

The metrics of a computer driven algorithm are no match for the human algorithm.

I don’t judge a person’s influence purely from a number’s standpoint. I actually go and visit their profiles and blogs and see how engaged they are with the community.

If they have a wide number of @Replies on Twitter, plenty of comments on their blog etc I know they are an influential expert to that community.

You can never be influential to everyone. Only to those who are like-minded and share the same communities as you.
http://www.shannoncherry.com Shannon Cherry

Here’s the thing… anyone who calls his-self or herself an influencer is clearly not one. Because it’s something you can’t call yourself. And, like you said, although we are all influenced by people every day, it’s how the outcomes and results the person being influenced achieves that makes the difference.

So sick of the self-important titles, frankly. Influencer, Goddess, Diva, Maven, Queen… Hmmm… why are women using these more than men?
- http://www.twitter.com/joshchandler Josh Chandler
  
  Shannon,
  
  Yes, you are right, we cannot and should not define ourselves as an influencer!
http://www.shannoncherry.com Shannon Cherry

Here’s the thing… anyone who calls his-self or herself an influencer is clearly not one. Because it’s something you can’t call yourself. And, like you said, although we are all influenced by people every day, it’s how the outcomes and results the person being influenced achieves that makes the difference.

So sick of the self-important titles, frankly. Influencer, Goddess, Diva, Maven, Queen… Hmmm… why are women using these more than men?
- http://www.twitter.com/joshchandler Josh Chandler
  
  Shannon,
  
  Yes, you are right, we cannot and should not define ourselves as an influencer!
http://twitter.com/LotusAmy Amy Miyamoto

Wow Sarah – I love both of your definitions. I couldn’t have said it better myself. P.S. You rock and your influence on my world meets the definitions you have outlined above. I thank you for the positive imprints you continue to make on my life and its expansion.
http://twitter.com/LotusAmy Amy Miyamoto

Wow Sarah – I love both of your definitions. I couldn’t have said it better myself. P.S. You rock and your influence on my world meets the definitions you have outlined above. I thank you for the positive imprints you continue to make on my life and its expansion.

Escaping Mediocrity