Who are influencers?

When you are about to make an online purchase, or before you try out a new restaurant, do you read the customers reviews on? I do not. This is because; I (probably like you) only pay attention to the negative reviews.

According to the post: Social Media Reading¬¬-Influencers, “90% of consumers surveyed trusted recommendations from people they knew personally, 70% trusted opinions from other consumers posted online, and 70% trusted brand websites”. This means that consumers trust the opinions of strangers about a product as the company website. This is interesting because if we (consumers) trust a review as much as the company website, are these “influencers” doing munch on their part.

However, there are cases when influencers can make a difference. Which is why, companies need to keep an eye out for these people. If someone has a large enough audience, and is seen as a credible expert, then they possess the power to change the opinions of others. What does this mean for a company? That they need to watch out for what is being said about their company and products and who is saying it.

Also, I think that it is very important to note that every review is completely arbitrary to the reviewer. What if they were having a bad day or that they have bad taste or what if they received a faulty product? All of these things would skew their perception, and ultimately yours, of the product or service in question.


The English comedian, Michael McIntyre does a good job explaining consumer reviews over the internet. If you would like to watch his interpretation please watch the video below starting at 2 minutes.