THINKing » New Influencers http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog My CreativeTeam Thinks About Creativity, Marketing, PR & Social Media Wed, 16 May 2012 18:53:40 +0000 en hourly 1 Everyman 1, Influentials, 0 http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/everyman-1-influentials-0/ http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/everyman-1-influentials-0/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:23:26 +0000 Harry Hoover http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/?p=934 Back in the 20th Century, you might remember, PR people were advised to determine who were the influentials in their market and spend the majority of their efforts reaching these elites. The theory was that if you reached these centers of influence – the media or someone who could influence popular culture – you could [...]]]>

Back in the 20th Century, you might remember, PR people were advised to determine who were the influentials in their market and spend the majority of their efforts reaching these elites. The theory was that if you reached these centers of influence – the media or someone who could influence popular culture – you could develop more targeted programs and avoid a mass approach. Approaching influentials was less expensive than mass communications.

The internet changed all that. Information and influence have now been democratized. Like the corporate world, culture is less hierarchical and has fewer layers.We now have a cheap way to reach a mass audience. That’s not to say there is no place for influentials in your marketing program. Although, Duncan Watts disagrees. He thinks it is a waste of money to try to target what Malcolm Gladwell called “tastemakers.” But that is a story for another day.

The media is losing much of its power and its mass appeal thanks to its lockstep liberal media bias and the rise of citizen journalism. I still think PR pros can utilize the media to help reach key audiences, however there are new ways to spread your message. Blogs and social media like Facebook and Twitter are the new media PR practitioners need to master.

Guy Kawasaki has some excellent advice for anyone who wants to master these new tools for profit. You’d be well advised to read and put his thoughts into practice.

By Harry Hoover

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]]> http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/everyman-1-influentials-0/feed/ 0 Off Topic: My Biggest Influencers http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/off-topic-my-biggest-influencers/ http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/off-topic-my-biggest-influencers/#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:44:12 +0000 Harry Hoover http://www.my-creativeteam.com/blog/?p=563 DC (digital colleague) Tom Pick, inspired by Paul Gillin’s book The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media, has tagged me with the meme: my biggest influencers. Here goes. My father. Although he died when I was 11, he had a profound impact upon me. He was always reading and learning new [...]]]>

DC (digital colleague) Tom Pick, inspired by Paul Gillin’s book The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media, has tagged me with the meme: my biggest influencers. Here goes.

  1. My father. Although he died when I was 11, he had a profound impact upon me. He was always reading and learning new things. After he died I had people come up to me to tell me how he helped them when they were strapped financially. So, from him I get my love of learning and my charitable focus.
  2. My mother. She always handled things in a disciplined, rational, positive way. After my father died in 1963, she took over the reins of the family and did what had to be done for us to get by. From her I get my discipline, focus and optimism.
  3. Reverend Caldwell. He was our minister when I was 6-years-old, and was always serene. I’m wired a little tightly so have always worked at being more like him.
  4. Mrs. Phillips. My third grade teacher taught me that things are not always what they seem. Don’t take everything at face value. Good advice for a future journalist.

As I started this post, I was thinking solely about my early influencers. My Biggest Influencer, however, is Terry Hoover, best friend/wife/mother of my children/social director/cheerleader/novelist extraordinaire. She taught me how to have fun.

That’s it. Now, I’m tagging Mark Harrison, Jason Falls and Rodger Johnson with this meme.

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