There is no doubt that the digital revolution, especially the development of social media, has changed our daily life in every aspect. These changes challenge the effectives of traditional ways of marketing and open up the opportunity to identify and utilize new social media marketing channels. An understanding of the influence of social media is crucial in the digital age. The book Return on Influence: the Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring, and Influence Marketing by Mark W. Schaefer is a very interesting book that deals with how companies can seek fresh ways to reach customers who are spending more of their lives online, and it has the potential to change the way people look at the influence of social media.
The book consists of 12 chapters, divided into two parts. The first part includes six chapters providing an in-depth discussion of the sources of online influence. The first two chapters discuss personal influence in the digital age. Some of the pioneers in the field, such as Klout, PeerIndex, and Twitter Grader, are attempting to quantify a person's level of online influence. Many brands are eager to find and connect with citizen influencers who could motivate others in their online spheres to take action or try a new product.
Chapter 3 examines how some of the traditional aspects of influence play a role in the context of social media. Dr Robert Cialdini's seminal book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion has been used as the conceptual foundation for this chapter (Cialdini, 2009). More specifically, the author focuses on four sources of influence: authority, likability, consistency, and scarcity. Any strategy on the social web begins with an emphasis on authenticity and honesty because it is a source of tremendous power (p. 34). In the new media platforms, the indicator of authority may be associated with the number of Twitter followers or a Klout score, so anybody can become a citizen influencer. Consistency, associated with intellectual strength, logic, rationality, and honesty, is “not so much about sticking to the same train of thought as much as it is about constantly putting your critical thinking out there for the world to discuss and debate” (p. 38). In the online world, likability still can be a powerful source of influence. The social web gives people a much more powerful tool to connect with people by providing plentiful amounts of personal information. “If your likability is a natural advantage for you, it is probably amplified on the social web” (p. 44). It is very challenging to leverage or monetize digital content. Therefore, the options are “to either do the hard work necessary to establish ourselves as true, authoritative influencers with a loyal following – a truly scarce commodity – or partner with those who are already in that position” (p. 46). It is very interesting to see some of the tangled relationships between influence in the offline world and influence in the online world.
Chapter 4 discusses two more sources of influence: social proof and reciprocity. The concept of social proof refers to “a situation in which people assume that the actions of others reflect the correct behavior for them too” (p. 50). It is very natural for people to look to others for cues to the correct behavior when they are not sure of the correct way to behave. Social proof is a critical weapon in the online world. According to the author, the number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers and a Klout score could serve as shortcuts to more time-consuming assessments of actual experiences (p. 53). The rule of reciprocity has much impact on the social web, and true reciprocity can create both long-term and short-term influence in an online world. “Being authentically helpful and giving of your time and talent without an expectation of reward can have a multiplier effect as your goodwill is observed and noted by others” (p. 61).
The fifth chapter focuses on the seventh weapon of influence: content. “It is impossible to sustain influence in the online world without creating – and moving – consistent, compelling content” (p. 64). Social media content could be in different forms, such as text-oriented content, videos, presentation-based content, image-based content, audio content, and micro-content. In the online world, the content does not necessarily have to be original; it can be aggregated and it can create influence even in the absence of real experience. “The key to success for both individuals and businesses is to create excellent content that will cut through the clutter and then move others to consume and share it virally through a network” (p. 76). The author provides some guidelines on how to create content that stands out. The rule of thumb is that the content has to be relevant, interesting, timely, and entertaining.
Chapter 6 traces through the evolution of celebrity endorsement along the advertising history. From the first integrated word-of-mouth campaign of JELL-O in 1897 to the social algorithm such as PeerIndex, “the ability to dissect and assess billions of pieces of data instantaneously and cost-effectively to find online influencers is a natural progression of a system that had its roots in the earliest marketplaces in the world” (p. 91). The author points out that “the next step in marketing's evolution is being defined by a technological advance: the free tools that allow everyone to publish and distribute content through the internet and the formulas that measure it” (p. 93).
The second part comprises chapters 7 to 12. In this part the author provides an insider's look at the social scoring company, Klout, which is attempting to quantify consumers' level of online influence. For readers who are not familiar with a social scoring system, this part is a must-read. Chapter 7 talks about the birth and the growth of the company Klout and explains what is the Klout score and how it has been used.
Chapter 8 examines the controversial side of the social scoring developed by companies such as Klout. The author analyzes some legitimate concerns about social scoring:
“A challenge for any internet start-up is fending off the inevitable attacks from those who want to game the system” (p. 113).
“Social media may be an ineffective place to exert influence” (p. 118).
How does one test an influence score and tell the difference between online and offline influence?
How does Klout adopt and adapt to privacy issues?
Chapter 9 first explains the cornerstone of the Klout marketing program Perks. Then, it focuses on the five key benefits of Klout marketing program: authentic advocacy, cost-effective impressions, fresh marketing channel, consumer feedback loop, and brand buffer. The author draws on a few fascinating real case studies to demonstrate “the variety of ways large and small businesses are beginning to use social scoring results to drive buzz, solve problems, connect to customers, and create new commercial opportunities” (p. 138). Best practices of influence marketing are provided at the end of chapter.
The tenth chapter provides readers with some advices on how to improve a Klout score, which is “a proxy for how well you can move your content – ideas, opinions, reviews, videos, thoughts, and the like – to other people in a way that makes them react” (p. 154). The author suggests three steps to increase a Klout score:
“Build a relevant network” (p. 158).
Have a strategy “to develop and/or curate exceedingly useful, helpful, interesting, and entertaining content” (p. 161).
“Systematically engage influencers who are most willing (or least passive) to distribute your content virally” (p. 164).
Chapters 11 and 12 discuss the future of social scoring. “Social scoring is in its infancy, the silent movie stage” (p. 177). The author provides the different views from the people in the field and looks at where social scoring may be heading.
Overall this book is well-written for all people interested in social media marketing. Using interviews with more than 50 experts and plentiful case studies, the book equips readers with skill needed in order to get up to speed in the era of social media and prepares them for the next wave of social networking and the future of marketing. It has a fairly comprehensive coverage both of the key sources of social influence and of how that knowledge is applied in the digital age today. For those readers who are not familiar with social media terminology, I would recommend to check out Appendixes A and B before proceeding. Appendix A explains the basic terms and concepts in social media and Appendix B provides a list of websites and platforms that measure influence.
