Why Influencers are the Best Marketers

Joe Wilcox | December 15, 2004, 11:51 AM

CNET News.com has a photo spread depicting how far enthusiasts will go to show that they love their Macs. It's further proof of the point colleague Michael Gartenberg made yesterday about an enthusiast-created iPod mini commercial : "When customers become so enamored of a product, they transcend the customer experience and actually become the best marketing evangelists for the product."

On Monday, I had a quick discussion with a Microsoft product manager about influencers. He was particularly interested in one segment of consumers in his product category that would likely evangelize to others and be called onto as a reference for what to buy. He was right to ask about potential purchase influencers.

Over the last couple months, I've had talks with vendors selling products to small and medium businesses. The SMB market is one few high-tech companies have successfully cracked. My first recommendation is always the same: Find influencers. Who do the SMBs talk to? Who is the expert that could influence their purchase decision? Is it an accountant, lawyer or trade association? The answer, or answers, may not be the same for every vertical.

Suppose a Portland, Maine, accountant is so hot on the Mac he has Apple logo mugs sitting on his desk and he speaks passionately about the computers to his clients. As a trusted adviser, his influence can have tremendous effect on clients' business decisions, and these include technology purchases. As an enthusiast, the accountant transcends his professional role and becomes a Mac evangelist. Every single vendor should be courting evangelists like this one. The trust in relationship makes these influencers powerful marketers. If you're a vendor selling products to, say, SMBs, you should know who the influencers are and seek a relationship with them.