Comments on: Fast Company’s “Influence Project:” Maybe call it the “Popularity Contest” instead http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/ Media technologist and author in Brooklyn, NY. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:06:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill Cammack http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22619 Bill Cammack Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:31:20 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22619 Sup, D? :) I wrote about it also: http://billcammack.com/2010/07/07/thoughts-about-the-fast-company-influence-project/ The problem is that this isn't influence at all. Besides the fact that you pointed out that early adopters benefit from the pyramid scheme, all it measures is how many people someone can trick into clicking on a link. On top of that, once someone gets to the site, they will advertise it to other people for their own reasons, not because the so-called "influencer" persuaded them that this was something they needed to get behind. It's basically like when they have those "hottest chick on the web" and "hottest guy on the web" contests and an actually HAWT chick gets the most votes and some busted dude gets the most votes because he happens to be the most popular. Reach isn't influence. The statistics on CPC advertising bear that out. You can show an advertisement to 1,000 people and it doesn't net you a single penny if nobody clicks on the ad. You're not influencing anyone to take any valuable action.. unless you count page hits to Fast Company because of people getting their followers to click on shortened URLs as "valuable". Sup, D? :)

I wrote about it also: http://billcammack.com/2010/07/07/thoughts-about-the-fast-company-influence-project/

The problem is that this isn’t influence at all. Besides the fact that you pointed out that early adopters benefit from the pyramid scheme, all it measures is how many people someone can trick into clicking on a link.

On top of that, once someone gets to the site, they will advertise it to other people for their own reasons, not because the so-called “influencer” persuaded them that this was something they needed to get behind.

It’s basically like when they have those “hottest chick on the web” and “hottest guy on the web” contests and an actually HAWT chick gets the most votes and some busted dude gets the most votes because he happens to be the most popular.

Reach isn’t influence. The statistics on CPC advertising bear that out. You can show an advertisement to 1,000 people and it doesn’t net you a single penny if nobody clicks on the ad. You’re not influencing anyone to take any valuable action.. unless you count page hits to Fast Company because of people getting their followers to click on shortened URLs as “valuable”.

]]> By: Talk:2, o Blog da Talk » A diferença entre popularidade e influência em Mídias Sociais http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22226 Talk:2, o Blog da Talk » A diferença entre popularidade e influência em Mídias Sociais Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:54:18 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22226 [...] a pouco coloco o gráfico de buzz monitoring aqui, mas vejam alguns exemplos: aqui, aqui e aqui [...] [...] a pouco coloco o gráfico de buzz monitoring aqui, mas vejam alguns exemplos: aqui, aqui e aqui [...]

]]> By: deanna zandt http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22179 deanna zandt Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:53:59 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22179 @Rod: *snicker @Rod: *snicker

]]> By: Rod Begbie http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22178 Rod Begbie Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:49:47 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22178 There's only one sensible way to deal with this… Go vote for my basset hound, Bacon! http://fcinf.com/v/atd6 There’s only one sensible way to deal with this… Go vote for my basset hound, Bacon! http://fcinf.com/v/atd6

]]> By: Beth Kanter http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22143 Beth Kanter Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:33:58 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22143 And a gimmick to get attention for their upcoming magazine issue on influence! Although the flash depictions of a little SNA of the people who clicked are interesting. And a gimmick to get attention for their upcoming magazine issue on influence! Although the flash depictions of a little SNA of the people who clicked are interesting.

]]> By: deanna zandt http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22134 deanna zandt Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:07:20 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22134 heh, exactly. heh, exactly.

]]> By: Jim Gilliam http://www.deannazandt.com/2010/07/06/fast-companys-influence-project-maybe-call-it-the-popularity-contest-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-22133 Jim Gilliam Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:04:21 +0000 http://www.deannazandt.com/?p=28314#comment-22133 It does sound like a good way to generate pageviews though. It does sound like a good way to generate pageviews though.

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