While I spoke to the fact that Opinion Leaders have an innate willingness to share knowledge, a clear portrait of these individuals has yet to be determined; and often times, not the most important thing to understand. Keeping the course with Matthew Goddards (R2i) interview questions, he then asked:
Do the Opinion Leaders have certain characteristics we can look for?
I wish the answer was “yes.” The truth is that the characteristics are all over the board depending on the nature of the community as well as the topic/issue of interest. Our clients find that the real value is not merely in knowing who the Opinion Leaders are within a given community. Rather, the real value is found in understanding the relationships through which a community vets ideas, evaluates products, and makes decisions. With an understanding of this existing network of trust and advice-seeking, you have the unique opportunity to become a meaningful part of the conversations and relationships that are built within the network.
