What if all your sales functions were outsourced to SMI’s?
What if all your sales functions were outsourced to SMI’s?
Can you imagine a world where all your Marketing, Prospecting, and Sales functions were outsourced to armies of millions of individual, affiliate Subject Matter Influencers (SMI’s)?
It’s already happening.
In 1989 William J. Tobin is credited with creating the first large scale affiliate program with PC Flowers and Gifts.
Then in 1996 Amazon adopted the idea and took their affiliate program global.
Now that influencer marketing has become a strong influence in the world, combine that force with the affiliate (more of a loyal connection) link and you have a dominate force for the future.
Nowadays, as Michael Kwan on johnchow.com says, influencers can easily make it their own career.
All they need is to build their own brand identity and attract followers.
Currently we’re seeing Subject Matter Influencers (SMI’s) who have loyal followings of
- 10’s of thousands on their trusted email list,
- 3000 friends on Facebook,
- 5000 connections on Linkedin,
- 100’s of thousands of Subscribers on YouTube,
- 100’s of followers on Twitter, …
Because these SMI’s have the loyalty of their followers, they have that vital asset that mainline marketing is slowly losing—TRUST.
As Michael Kwan says, this is person to person, trust marketing.
Being one of these “followers” (on many different lists,) if I have to choose between something I saw (on TV, a billboard, a restaurant sign,) and having something recommended by my FB friend or Linkedin connection, I will choose my friend or connection most every time.
These solo affiliate influencers are growing in strength and numbers every day.
Yes, these influencers will be challenged to maintain the balance of recommending ideas and giving quality content to maintain their own influencer brand values and continue to build trust with their loyalists.
As this industry grows it would seem vital for larger organizations to have:
- Influencer development programs (to nurture talent)
- Influencer support programs (to supply tools and training)
- Influencer relationship programs (to build their own trusted SMI’s)
- Influencer relationship software (to build CRM-like capabilities)
Thinking of SMI’s as a burgeoning industry, this could be a golden opportunity for
- Venture capital’s (to supply this new type of business)
- Influencer holding companies (to have several SMI’s in their own networks)
- Individual digital marketers who partner/support several SMI’s (to make careers)
As an entrepreneur who has been called a SMI, my focus influence focus is on “Optimal Engagement” and “Screenagers” as I have 26 years of Engagement passion, research, training, and consulting in my brand.
How many times in the last month have you seen or heard someone say something about
- engaging customers,
- engaging employees,
- engaging students, or even
- engaging family members?
Right now this new generation of Screenagers is growing up with screens in their hands and pockets, and these Screenagers are becoming vital key indicators of things to come.
Who do these Screenagers trust more, someone they’ve been following online for days, months, and sometimes years, or yet another giant advertising campaign just rolled out by the old multi national?
Build person-to-person influencer marketing, build trust, build loyalty.
You can see examples of screen innovations for Optimal Experiences at JOIN THE CURATION: Google+.
Remember, come join tomorrow to see more Improving Your Engagement with Screenagers and others inspirational experiences and ideas for Optimal Engagement in the ScreenAge.
Remember to engage tomorrow.
Following with you.
Keep it simple.
All the Best, Warren
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#Screenagers, #Engaging, #Engage, #Engaged, #Engagement, #High Value Engagement, #Junk-Engagement, #Optimal Engagement in the ScreenAge,
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