A couple of classes ago, we spent a significant amount of time trying to identify influencers for our clients. Glad we did that exercise, but coming across this article (Why Online Influencer Outreach is Overrated and How to Fix It), I wonder if we missed out on advocates, and prematurely went straight to the influencers.

This article draws a distinction between the two simply stating that influencers are those with large audiences and can help drive awareness around an idea whereas advocates are those that truly have passion for an idea and share it for no other reason, thus having ability to drive action. Generally speaking, while awareness is desirable, in an influencing campaign, action is more so and is what actually marks true influence. And let’s be honest here, advocates have more legitimacy than influencers. I mean, you’re more likely to believe Pepsi tastes good because your friend told you rather than because Britney Spears sang about it, right? Anyway, the article goes on to advise that you should start with advocacy and then find an audience (via influencers) to truly promote the kind of action you’d like to see.

Now here’s my two cents: for amplification purposes or to promote some kind of action, yes, my feeling is that an advocate’s role has higher weight because it’s more legitimate and authentic. But, in terms of crisis management or response to negative sentiment, influencers might have higher weight simply because they have larger audiences and news would travel like wild fire through their networks. This being said, the two parties complement one another and are both important when it comes to monitoring social media, so it’s important to see how both fit in to the picture.

Check out these profiles below (sourced from another article by the same publisher) to get an idea of how an advocate differs from an influencer. Click on the image to make it bigger.