Influencer Marketing: The Official Guidebook
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) defines an influencer as “a person who has greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace.” Such individuals serve as a trusted source of insight and advice for others, and are capable of sparking them into action.
WOMMA therefore defines the practice of influencer marketing as “when a marketer identifies, seeks out and engages with influencers in support of a business objective.” Essentially, by engaging with these trusted sources, the marketer hopes to more effectively reach the influencer’s audience, build trust with them, and create greater resonance for their message
.WOMMA has identified five categories of influencers, including those who fall into the following categories:
Formal Position of Authority
Institutional Subject Matter Experts and Advocates
Media Elite
Cultural Elite
Socially Connected
Optionally, as we note, you may elect to consider the following categories in addition to those already found on the list, as influencers can be tremendously significant on every scale – even those who’d consider themselves otherwise unknown outside of their local or niche communities:
Community Figure: Social, Online or Otherwise
Thought Leader
Friend, Parent or Educator
Content Creator
These individuals –sometimes referred to as experts, subject matter experts (SMEs), authorities, gurus, industry insiders or otherwise –aren’t always working professionals or nationally-recognized figures. Some come bytheir authority as a result of their singular experiences, backgrounds or knowledge; others, simply as a function of their personality, contacts or the role they play within any given audience.
In short, an influencer is not defined by age, gender or even individual focus. Rather, all bear a common trait: The ability to influence others’ thoughts, decisions and actions for good or ill. A psychographic, not demographic grouping, such individuals may come from all backgrounds and walks of life, and aren’t categorized as such by virtue of personal traits –rather, their ability to spark change.
Influencer marketing is therefore a form of advertising in which communications professionals attempt to engage influencers to help communicate, magnify and/or endorse their message in hopes of sparking desired actions or building affinity amongst a specific audience. WOMMA refers to influencer marketing as being about the change from marketing at consumers to marketing with people –i.e. building a two-way relationship based on conversations, give and take and mutual appreciation. For rules, guidelines and best practices, see http://www.womma.org/resources/online-resources.
INFLUENCER Magazine, the first publication both by and for influencers and experts in every category and field, is designed to provide a source of continuing education and community influencers on every side of the divide – leading external authorities and corporate professionals alike. An in-depth guide to business trends, influencer marketing, social media, digital transformation, communications, and surrounding best practices, we provide a positive and open forum featuring today’s top influencers and experts, who are invited to share their innovation and insights. We invite you to join in the discussion – and, in doing so, discover and nurture your own abilities to educate, inform and change the world for the positive.