Influencers & the Forum Community

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Influencers & the Forum Community

Are you trying to build a community? These days, influencers can assist, but do you know how you to utilize them? Adrian Speyer breaks it down for you.

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Dlahaix

Thanks for this great article. I am more familiar with the B2B part , where micro-influencers are usually experts i.e the M Gladwell rule that it takes 20 hours a week for 20 years to become an influencer.\nI see three specific benefits in connecting "community & influencers".

You may have influencers in your community and not knowing it. Some of your community members may not be very active in your community but they may write great content and develop audiences in their blog, Twitter account, LinkedIn group.....

If your community is not "product/support" centered but "practice/expertise" centered and one of its objective is growth, then you definitely should target micro-influencers as prospective members. These influencers will bring credibility to your community and will also be great advocate/promoters.

Also, if you view your community as your "company", influencers brings skill that are mandatory for growth: they usually write great content and they know how to socialize content.

Content (and for this you need a LOT of micro influencers). Many community die because they lack fresh, timely relevant content. It is expensive to develop content and the only way to get relevant content on a daily/weekly basis is to curate other people content. By listening to 1000's of people in your field and by spotting what these people share the most, a community manager can get a reliable flow of great content to share

Agree that you should be careful not to rely on one or a few influencers.

ndevolites

I agree with the above on recruiting new influencers and nurturing micro-influencers into the community. I think that focusing on one influencer is a one-way ticket to a lot of foreseeable and unforeseeable challenges. Per the article, Adrian mentioned having a strategy around what happens if an influencer ends up getting negative attention/canceled - I agree.

I think every community that hosts a well-known influencer should have a playbook that includes: An emergency plan w/ timeline (1, 3, and 6-month timeline, depending on backlash) - how to quickly address (both w/ technology and people); which teams to involve, how to recruit, and how to use those "teachable moments" to the community's advantage (i.e. a pivot of message if something that doesn't align with the brand is said, giving back to the community or an interest group, etc.)

Finally, I believe that it should not be just one influencer - there needs to be a balance of opinions, expertise, etc. It will minimize any issues if one goes rogue. In addition, only one that is easily accessible can create a stale experience, i.e. people are over it. Staggering influencers in a community, perhaps hanging out in it 1-2 days a month, creates great spikes in engagement, high enthusiasm, and a vibrant place to be. :)

Dlahaix

Thanks for these @"", I'll make sure everyone follows the rules!