One of the most interesting points of Perez’s analysis is that the most influential Twitter accounts “hold significant influence over a variety of topics, as opposed to being experts in just one area.”  While many brands on Twitter speak to a particular demographic or topic area; based on this study and the popularity of celebrity Twitter users like Sean “P Diffy” Combs (who tweets everything from concert dates to bible quotes), Twitter influencers seem to be seen as experts on a wide variety of topics.  In fact the study shows that “retweeted users tended to be content aggregation services.”

This information is particularity interesting when we as social media pros think about audience development on Twitter. As we look to develop audiences on Twitter when our clients are in a niche area, gaming, sports, retail etc., is it important to make sure that a brand’s voice offers (or even re-tweets) authoritative information on a wide variety of subjects? Perhaps it is important that a brand’s Twitter voice speaks to what is popular in and around their niche.  For instance, it could make sense for a sports blog to begins discussing a less than popular sport, or maybe they comment on the antics of celebrity athletes, or even the health care debate?

The difficulties in this theory are that it could be hard to reign in “diversifying.” How much is enough? What sorts of topics should a brand discuss? How often should a brand jump on a Twitter trend?  No matter what strategy employed it is my opinion that it is always vitally important that the tweets of any particular brand always reflect back not only to the brand’s core values but to the goals of that brand’s Twitter outreach.  After all, the content aggregation Twitter accounts and news channels are not only speaking on a wide variety of topics but these topics are targeted to speak to a particular niche (current events, politics, sports, etc) and stay on brand message (CNN is the “news leader”).

Do you think this study brings up a good point about diversifying content strategies or are niche approaches more effective? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Read more on the study here.

*(Study institutions included: Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS), Germany †Royal Veterinary College, University of London, United Kingdom ‡CS Dept., Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil)

eMarketer released some big numbers last week on the growth of user-generated content creators and consumers.  The report estimates that by 2013 the number of UGC creators will reach 115 million (just over half of all internet users), up from 83 million in 2008.  That’s significant, and indicative of the growing popularity of user-generated content (specifically video) as a platform for fluent self-expression.  And as the quantity of content increases, so too does the audience.  An estimated 70% of all internet users, roughly 155 million, will be consuming some form of UGC by 2013.

The study goes on to suggest that the growth in UGC may be unprofitable if the advertising climate for user-generated media remains stagnant, citing ‘unpredictability of UGC’ and ‘absence of ad standards’ (among others) as the culprits for these conditions.  While these issues pose a concern for a company like Google who are still seeking to profit on YouTube after its acquisition in 2006, marketers are presented with an amazing opportunity to reach their audience in an organic and credible way.

Marketing Vox covered an Ad-ology survey last week on the influence of video game selection.  The survey, called Fall 2008 Median Influence on Consumer Choice, reported that of consumers between the ages of 18-24 nearly 65% were influenced by online video.

“‘Gamers want to see new releases in action before they buy, and online video is an effective way to show actual game play,’ said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research.”

This significant level of influence of online video on video game purchases presents an opportunity for leveraging the growing number of UGC creators and consumers.  At Affinitive, we integrate online video, official or user-generated, into the majority of our programs when it makes sense, and have experienced a great deal of success in most cases.

For example, we recently executed a user-generated video contest for the release of an RPG-style video game.  The contest was set up to encourage those who bought the game to upload their best game play videos (see an example here), with the winner earning a gift certificate and autographed merchandise.  By the end of the contest (roughly two weeks after the game’s release,) the contest had received over 50 entries totaling 300,000+ views.

That’s not to say that every marketing campaign needs online video, rather I’m simply pointing out that the audience and creators are increasing, and the influence is there.  It is a growing opportunity that should be considered when developing an online marketing strategy.

Your product is being talked about everywhere by everyone.  A single product review can be seen by millions.  This realization can be terrifying, or it can inspire you to take advantage of this powerful word-of-mouth opportunity.

1.    Harness the power of positive. Your product isn’t going to satisfy 100% of consumers.  People are going to dislike it or have a bad experience, it’s inevitable.  But chances are there are customers who love your product, who have gone as far as writing a positive review or telling a friend about their experience.  They don’t have to do that.  That’s a conscious decision to take time out of their day to promote you.  These are your advocates.  Identify them, support them, and encourage these actions.  If you can’t find advocates, create them.  Find a consumer who has had a terrible experience and go above and beyond anything they would expect to make things right, for example.  Chances are that brand detractor becomes your brand ambassador.

2.    Energize. What better place to start the Word-of-mouth movement than on your home turf?  Invite your advocates to join a conversation together with you.  Reward them for their contributions.  Not only  does  this empower your customers to spread your message, it  facilitates a dialogue with your most loyal customers to gain insights and research into purchase decisions and habits.  Create a Groundswell.

3.    Cultivate and amplify the message. Use this groundswell as your opportunity to create a unified voice among your advocates.  Educate them and supply them with the resources to educate others, and the tools and means necessary to spread the word!

Apply this method effectively and let your customers do the rest. This assuming that your product doesn’t suck.