Social Popularity vs Social Influence
A 2010 study of Twitter influence by the HP Social Computing Lab showed that the most famous people on Twitter like Martha Stewart and David Gregory were very popular but not very influential. That is, what they communicated had very little influence on their follower’s actions. If Martha Stewart says “orange is the new black” nobody goes out and buys orange. The foundational truth we’re not talking about in this discussion of digital influence is that popularity—even subject matter expert popularity—is not a proxy for influence.
As social media marketers, we must recognize the difference between social "popularity" and social "influence" We should strive to strategize our social engagement to build relationships with customers. Disregard Klout scores, because at the end of the day your FB page could have the most likes - but are you seeing a return on investment?

















