Livingston

Feb
17
2008

Where to Identify Influencers: The Back Channel

An interesting post from Marshall Kirkpatrick at Read/Write Web gives some pointers on where to research influencers. As Marshall acknowledged, the six recommendations do provide good starting points, but while they may yield top blogs, the picture will be incomplete. They won’t get you in front of the true conversation. To do that you have to find the back channel.

The six sites Marshall recommended for research are:

socialgraph Inevitably, any substantial subject matter area has a back channel where top bloggers and influencers chat. For example, PR and marketing bloggers and tend to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and to some extent, LinkedIn.  This back channel can yield powerful connections to highly influential minds who may not have blogs top statistical rank.

Consider Laura Fitton, a powerhouse Twitter member. Or Ike Pigott, one of the most respected minds in online PR. How about Shannon Whitley, a driver behind social media release development?

Marketers looking to find their subject area’s back channel should start with a basic search. Once your initial search yields important blogs, please visit them and note which social networks the bloggers use to connect. That’s how you will find the heart of your community. Join their communities.  Engage and participate in the conversation. And learn what your stakeholders really care about.

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by Geoff Livingston | Internet Marketing |

4 Responses to “Where to Identify Influencers: The Back Channel”

  • Ted Shelton Says:

    February 17th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    In understanding the relationships between bloggers, it is also helpful for marketers to know about the range of capabilities (and prices) for commercial tools that help you understand the conversation — companies like Buzzlogic, Radian6, Visible (TruCast). As this area gets increasingly complex we have found that we need a dedicated research team (now 5 people) to focus on using a combination of tools to help our clients listen to the conversation.

  • Geoff Livingston Says:

    February 18th, 2008 at 11:37 am

    Good point, Ted! Yeah, I agree, though I still haven’t been thrilled with any of the measurement solutions to date… We’ll see.

  • Anna Miotk - blog » Blog Archive » Ameryka debatuje, Polska siÄ™ edukuje Says:

    February 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 am

    [...] poprzez dodatkową analizę serwisów, w których rekomendowane są blogi czy pojedyncze wpisy - i komentarz autorów z The Buzz Bin, wspominający, że warto uzupełnić tę analizę także o analizę pozycji danej osoby w [...]

  • Links de Quinta #04 | Peixe Fresco Says:

    February 28th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

    [...] Where to Identify Influencers: The Back Channel - Pouco depois, Geoff Livingston publicou no The Buzz Bin um outro artigo que completa os dois acima de maneira magnífica. Depois de descobrir os autores, corra atrás das comunidades que eles frequentam, e dos blogs que lêem. E então encontrará o coração da comunidade. [...]

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