What is influence? For a decade, Malcom Gladwell’s "The Tipping Point" has served as a touchstone for those who believe that influence resides in the hands of a select few. Not so, says a new generation of marketers. They believe that thanks to the democratizing power of the internet, anyone can be an Influential. Both camps are wrong. True influence flows from drawing together people with shared interests. This session focuses on the process of identifying areas of relevancy among your customers and prospects, building community, and allowing others to amplify your influence as you meet their needs.

1. #smxeast
Everyone is wrong about
Influence.
Except your Customers.
Valeria Maltoni . @ConversationAge
VP, Digital Strategy, PM Digital

2. #smxeast
Video to be added

3. #smxeast
predicting the qualities of
the next hit campaign,
product or hot news item…
is notoriously difficult

4. “We hope to rewire the way people spread and
consume information…
We think a more open and connected world will help
create a stronger economy with more authentic
businesses that build better products and services.”
- Mark Zuckerberg, Founder / CEO, Facebook
Letter to Potential Shareholders, May 2012

6. #smxeast
let’s start by
reframing the
question

7. #smxeast
how do you appeal to
influencers based on
what they think about
themselves?

8. #smxeast
1 How information spreads
through shared interests

9. #smxeast
gossip

10. #smxeast
May 13, 2010 – Lee Perkins,
videographer, Shreveport, LA creates
Boycott BP 841,047 fans
May 19, 2010 – Josh Simpson,
comedian, CA creates
@BPGlobalPR 188,604 followers
at height of interest
April 13, 2009 – Good as You GLBT
activist blog publishes the
Domino’s videos for the first time,
videos go viral within hours
crisis

11. #smxeast
200,000
12,000,000
600
40 > 5
experiences

12. #smxeast
need

13. #smxeast
92%
of consumers report that a
word-of-mouth
recommendation is the top
reason they buy a product and
service
Nielsen, Global Consumer Trust, 2012.

14. #smxeast
human data

15. #smxeast
entertain
affect opinions
exchange important information
point out & enforce social rules
learn from mistakes

16. #smxeast
2 Who are the influencers in
your industry

17. social trends often seem to have been
driven by certain influential people
#smxeast

18. yet marketers are often unable to
identify these “influencers” in advance
#smxeast

19. #smxeast
it starts with
understanding
motivation

20. #smxeast

21. #smxeast
CONNECTOR SALESMAN MAVEN

22. #smxeast
they don’t tell their
readers because
they like you…

23. #smxeast
what matters is
what happens in
their world

24. #smxeast
[…] She wore the socks to school on
Tuesday, pairing them with the cute
sneakers and a simple black shirt and
skirt.
She told me she received
compliments the entire day – from
students in middle school, high school
students (her school has students in
grades 5-12), teachers and even the
crossing guard. […]
Client: Little Miss Matched
AvaLovesFashion.com, August 2014.

25. #smxeast
… they tell their
readers because
they like their
readers (or themselves / both)

26. #smxeast
WIDE
spread across
knowing issues
having things on the radar
building wide acceptance and buy-in
evangelists
concentrated
credibility and trust
from past experience, track
record
DEEP
Source: Jess McMullin
T-shaped influence

27. #smxeast
3 What are the attractors, the
value generating actions

28. #smxeast
connect
inquire
notice
commit
respond

29. then designing what
that influencer
experience looks like
#smxeast

30. Image source: joiseyshowaa
#smxeast
connect

31. #smxeast
part of a tribe

32. #smxeast

33. #smxeast

34. #smxeast
investors seek
objective sources
of information

35. #smxeast
online & offline
connections

36. http://solidsoundfestival.com/alumni/
#smxeast
local significance

37. #smxeast
inquire

38. #smxeast
what they say
what they do

39. Imag#e ssomurcex:e Joahns tBiehler
data explosion

40. #smxeast
mobile technology will
be ubiquitous, invisible,
and interconnected

41. #smxeast
ability to access
records anytime,
anywhere

42. #smxeast
goals and motivation

43. #smxeast
wearable technology
from science fiction to
fashion statement

44. #smxeast
health care where
we live, play, work
and pray
Source: Well Connected Mom

45. #smxeast
identify based on what they say,
connect based on what they do

46. #smxeast
what would
they say about
themselves
Image Source: The garden behind Marco's. Photo: Sarah Silberg/New York Magazine

47. Image source: Michele Catania
#smxeast
notice

48. #smxeast
62%
Agree that user generated
content has more credibility in
supporting brand trust than
employee-generated content
Get Satisfaction, Market Trend Report, Sept 2014

49. #smxeast
focusing on what
people are able to
do…

50. #smxeast
reason to
come back

51. Image source: Lane County, OR communications center
#smxeast
make them better at
what they want to do

52. … rather than trying
to manage how they
perceive your brand
#smxeast

53. #smxeast
lighting many fires

54. #smxeast
College/Campus
Experience
Distance Learning
Education News Education Policy Teaching/Learning
Professor Blogs
Admissions/
Rankings
Technology In
Education
Career Planning Homeland Security
key content categories
& topics

55. #smxeast
they do not post
because they like
you…

56. #smxeast
… they post
because they like
themselves

57. #smxeast
how you see yourself

58. #smxeast
impacts loyalty

59. #smxeast
commit

60. #smxeast
1 / 9 / 90
creators, contributors, lurkers
The Internet Rule

61. #smxeast
empowering
people

62. #smxeast
backing
projects
Goal: $1,000,000
Raised: $5,408,916

63. #smxeast
bringing
experiences to life
Goal: $2,000,000
Raised: $5,702,153
Rob Thomas is the
creator and executive
producer of
VERONICA MARS

64. #smxeast
funding new
products
Goal: $100,000
Raised: $10,266,845

65. #smxeast
41.15%
Success rate. 70,040 projects
funded successfully.
$1,316,563,718
total dollars pledged.
Kickstarter, September 19, 2014.

66. #smxeast

67. Imag#e ssoumrcex: Deaawns Htopkins
respond

68. #smxeast
community @ work
± 42,000
2000
127
27
101
2001
8
375
give people
a VOICE
Image source: Seven Morris
globally
y2k
Cities
countries
meet up
milestone
years
PHL members

69. Imag#e ssomurcex: eThae Tsetlegraph
chance to be part
of something

70. #smxeast
average response time:
9.75 seconds

71. #smxeast
63%
When 1,620 consumers were
tested under laboratory
conditions, said they felt their
heart rate increase when they
thought about receiving great
customer service.
American Express Service Study, September 2013

72. #smxeast
Jan/Feb, 2010
Toyota Recall
42 million vehicles are recalled due to faulty breaks.
2005
1977
2010
March 17, 2010
Palm Oil/Greenpeace
Facebook wall animosity caused by
community manager.
April 20, 2010
Gulf Oil spill
BP engages PIER emergency system to
communicate internally.
July 7, 1977
Breast Milk Action Network
Company boycott is called in U.S.
and expanded in Europe in the
‘80s.
2007
February 14, 2007
Customer Service
Issues
Leaked memo from
founder Howard Shultz
sets off a series of
initiatives that leads to
launch of My Starbucks
Idea.
June 2005
“Dell Hell”
Blogger Jeff Jarvis begins a
controversy about company’s
customer service issues.
2009
August 13, 2009
Employee-created YouTube
expose’ video
Video is viewed by 1 million
people.
July 16, 2009
Sustainability Index
CEO-led, proactive
initiative to affect
supply chain.
February 2009
Customer Service issue
Blue Shirt nation led to
TwelpeForce and
prompt response.
1 minute
30 years
1 month
1 month
1 month
1 month
48 hours
proactive
1 year
social media
interactions

73. Businesses should treat technology like a special
effect.
If you’re James Cameron and you’re doing a
movie like Avatar, the issue is, “What kind of world
am I trying to create?”
— Michael Schrage
#smxeast
Then the question is, “So how do I get the
technology to do that?”
The leading question is not, “Gee, how do I
make a cheaper movie faster?”

74. #smxeast
what is the bigger
context that people
are (or can be)
excited about?

75. #smxeast
4 Three core ingredients to get
it right

76. A STORY that resonates:
emotional triggers are powerful
#smxeast

77. #smxeast
their story

78. #smxeast
The ABILITY to SPREAD it:
making it super easy via
connections in social

79. #smxeast
making them the
hero

80. #smxeast
Doing something
MEANINGFUL, feel
part of something
greater than self

81. #smxeast
the bigger, cooler
thing for them

82. because you enable
something as a
result of that
experience
#smxeast

83. #smxeast
Saw your new video series
– it was amazing;
what did you use?
word-of-obvious
[Kathy Sierra]

84. #smxeast
influence as a side
effect of
interestingness

85. what would you do
differently if you were
responsible for their
success?
#smxeast

86. #smxeast
5 Steps to get it done

87. 1. Do the research
2. Keep it personal
3. Take time to map ways to connect
4. Involve the talent
5. Choose a short list for exclusive
#smxeast

88. #smxeast
how can you make
them more
interesting?

89. #smxeast

90. #smxeast
identify areas
of interest

91. because you are not
creating experience
for your
influencers…
#smxeast

92. #smxeast
… you are creating
experience for their
readers

93. #smxeast
if it’s not you
who will influence
your customers

94. #smxeast
THANK YOU!

95. #smxeast
Valeria Maltoni – VP Digital Strategy, PM Digital
Led brand development, integrated content marketing
strategy and execution, and digital / social strategies for a
number of global Fortune 500 companies in technology, retail
eCommerce, financial services, and Media & Entertainment.
 1999-2007 – FastCompany.com, created and led social
network in Philadelphia
 2006-current – started Conversation Agent focused on
digital transformation at the intersection of business /
technology / media
vmaltoni@pmdigital.com
@conversationage