I kept thinking as I read more emotive comments and new blog posts around the intense conversations that followed Stowe Boyd's original negative review of Social Media Releases - irrespective of the fact that I didn't agree with Stowe's comments was how the influence of an individual was affected by reader sentiments - whether positive, negative or neutral - surrounding content that an individual had published.
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Was Stowe's influence level increasing, decreasing or remaining unchanged surrounding the social media release conversation? Was Chris Heuer's influence spiking or remaining constant? Would advertisers be more or less willing to include Stowe in a word-of-mouth campaign if they were able to measure his influence at that point in time?  Do positive reader reactions sway cumulative influence averages (CIA)?Â
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Social intelligence monitoring vendors are providing cumulative views of influence in their reports around specific topics but can you model online influence and forecast future influence?  Is there an ideal equation bloggers can use to generate more awareness?  Has Ann Coulter or Strumpette uncovered some hidden secret about how negative content generates positive influence - even if it is short lived? Â
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If participation is indeed social currency that is transformed into influence during a conversation does it matter what you say? Are there any correlation between influence rates and the perceived or actual content sentiment of a published piece of content? Do these rates decrease or increase when you publish a negative review? For instance, if Mark Cuban says something negative about NBA referees does he become more or less influential than he was before he made the negative comments? If B.L. Ochman demands that Edelman be removed from WOMMA, and her published views are regarded in a favorable light, how long does her influence last on that topic? Is influence "evergreen?"Â
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And, is influence on one topic area transferable to another topic?  Is Ted Leonis influential about topics concerning travel to Alaska? Does Paris Hilton have influence over purchases of Tokaji Aszu? Does she even know what it is?
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To better understand the nature of online influence, and specifically how influence among those that are already rated or viewed as influential changes as a result of perceived or actual sentiments by readers positive, negative or neutral - we need the ability to identify and place individual value on the influential fuel of voices surrounding a conversation that moves beyond metrics anchored in link-based measures. In the near future, PR and marketing professionals will need to establish new data sets that formulate models for guiding the selection of "influencers" that are right, right now for a specific brand, product or service engagement. The goal is not about controlling a message but managing credible communications. Â

TAGS: Stowe Boyd, Social Media Release, Chris Heuer, Word of Mouth, Social Intelligence, Bloggers, Ann Coulter, Strumpette, Mark Cuban, NBA Referees, B.L. Ochman, Edelman, WOMMA, Ted Leonsis, Alaska, Paris Hilton, Tokaji Aszu