Influence is in simplest form (according to Merriam Webster) is defined as “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways”. Advertisers have thrived to build out their influence through the old media portals such as TV and print. It’s that influence and desire of owning a product or using a service which has grown the old style of marketing and selling, but actually makes little to no difference in the new marketing world.

The hidden secret to a company advertising campaign via mass media was often to build a fake level of interest in a consumer (who wasn’t even targeted, just part of a faceless crowd). It’s sometimes was not so much about what the product was, it’s often WHO was seen using that product or service on a television advertisement which could sway people’s buying decisions.

But what is still not clear to many companies out there is how influence “emitted” by the company is actually translating into something drastically more user focused in the new marketing world (social media, marketing, Web 2.0)

Social media, blogs, forums, user generated content (images, video, audio) are actually the sole factors for the change in companies influence. No longer is one person in control of the message/influence (one way conversation), there are multiple users having two way conversations being their own brand advocates (building peer to peer trust)

It amazes me to think that companies such as UK2 are being overzealous in controlling their brand and actually trying to be influencers rather then the influenced. Companies just aren’t taking the time to sit down and analyze the twittersphere (via Twitter Search) and find out what the consumer’s favourite non-brand affiliated influencers (such as Perez Hilton and Louis Gray) are saying.

There are many broken trust barriers which companies fail to realise lie within their own organisations, and since the migration of mass media switched over to social media consumers are picking up the brands that matter and chucking the ones that just don’t care about evolving.

Many companies who are still failing to understand that those prolific and well-known Twitter and Facebook users are actually more useful to the company, then the companies OWN advertising is at times. They are really close to the edge of the abyss (and they still don’t know it!).

There’s likely little chance companies will have to catch a Twitter wave, or a Facebook wave like the one which is sweeping the world right now again.

The only way companies will recover their previous losses for putting together such poor attempts in social marketing is to believe that their brand is about gaining consumer’s trust rather then their influence. Companies have a much more targeted audience to reach with social media, so there is no need for this “we must influence others to buy our product” attitude.

If you can be a “Trust Agent” online  then you are actively working your way to securing a brighter future for your company. Influence is out, trust is in!