Influencer Types: Which Breed Are You?

Like different breeds of dogs, Influencers have unique traits that are better suited to meet specific goals.  Among Influencer breeds are Activists, Connectors, Impactors and Trend Setters.  Each type of Influencer has a distinct role to play in executing a successful social media strategy.  Knowing your own strengths as an Influencer as well as those of the influencers you work with can give you a fundamental advantage in your marketplace. 

For example, if your goals are related to increasing your companies ROI, then Connectors and Impacters will offer important opportunities to engage other key people and resources. If you're rolling out a new tech product, then Trend Setters would be the first group of Influencers that you'd want to reach. Trend Setters are predictably "early-adopters" of innovative products. They like to be in "the know" first, while the Connectors and Impactors take the lead in sharing information with the broader community. Throw in the Activists, who initiate real change by recognizing where progress can have the greatest impact, and together you have a dynamic network of people who collectively drive change, but alone each has less influence on singular outcomes.

Every person has a character type which drives their behaviors - revealing how they will react to the many situations and actions they initiate.  Offline in personal relationships these behaviors manifest whether a person is generally calm, angry, reserved, outgoing, introverted, extroverted, secretive, open, or withholding. Does one operate with a strong or weak sense of self? How low or high is one's level of confidence - among other factors? When a person's character is viewed through the lens of social media, you can easily observe how his communication style impacts his relationships and his abilty to influence others. 

Activists are influencers who who are using social media platforms to initiate change on both small and large scales. For example, Twitter's most famous Activist Influencer, Tehran Bureau, remains anonymous, yet is highly effective in enrolling and inciting Iranians committed to democracy.  He (or she) turned the world spotlight on the 2009 Iranian elections, illustrating how the people were creating a revolution in the streets, while the powers that be pretended that it was not happening.  Another example was when Motrin pulled their ads that offended a small but powerful group of moms who blog daily. Their influence lies in being able to easily reach large numbers of passionate people and are able to ignite significant action.

Connectors are Influencers that know people and also know people who know people.  They are usually only 1 or 2 degrees away from people much more popular and powerful than they are.  With the access they have to uber-influential people, and the respect they carry with them, their influence lies in observing and listening to what someone wants or needs, and then being able to connect them to the person or resources that will help them achieve their goals.

Impacters are Influencers who generally create change through advertising and marketing.  There have been Impacters who directly affect corporate culture, but they are not nearly as prevalent.  Impacters are the type of Influencers who brand managers and business leaders want to reach.  Their influence lies in sharing and promoting product and services information in ways that connect with passionate audiences who are actively looking for those resources.  

Trend Setters are the Influencers who sway other influencers.  Their insider access and wealth of experience and expertise in their fields makes them industry lighthouses by which others navigate their ships.  Their influence lies in having a strong track record of sharing valuable information with fans and followers, long before mainstream audiences catch on.

Are you one of these types of Influencers?  Would you like to be?  Or would you like to find an Influencer who can help you meet your personal and professional goals?  To learn more, check out these tools and start connecting to more Influencers today.