{"id":13467,"date":"2020-11-23T17:24:34","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T00:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grin.co\/?p=13467"},"modified":"2025-10-03T14:41:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T21:41:56","slug":"how-to-measure-social-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grin.co\/blog\/how-to-measure-social-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Measure Social Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Implied in the term <\/span>influencer marketing<\/span><\/i> is the concept of social influence. Rather than blindly accepting that this marketing approach works, we actually have ways to measure this social influence and draw key connections between an influencer and the impact that that individual has on an engaged audience.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is influence?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Influence is impact<\/i><\/b>. The very fabric of relationships involves trust and influence. Relationships between adults<\/span> impact many of the decisions that they make<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe psychology of influence revolves around the concept that <\/span><\/i>people can be influenced into doing things<\/i><\/b>. Influence is often an unconscious act. People are not always aware when they are being influenced and that is why it works.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n–GRIN, <\/em>The Psychology of Influence<\/em><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In digital marketing, experts are studying the effects that influencers have on their online communities, and by extension, the brands that employ them. This impact on consumer behavior is often referred to as <\/span>social influence<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is social influence?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social influence is the effect that a group has upon members within that group.<\/i><\/b> In adolescence, we often refer to social influence as peer pressure. There exists some similarities between the two, but social influence is a topic that marketing experts analyze to understand consumer behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social influence does not follow the logic that consumers are easily manipulated into purchasing certain products or services – quite the opposite. In today\u2019s social media environment, <\/span>consumers have more options to join virtual communities that support their values and lifestyle aspirations and to leave the ones that don\u2019t<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And once consumers identify their favorite influencers and online communities, they take the opinions of others in that group seriously, even if they do so unconsciously. Therefore, studying social influence is a two-pronged analysis:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n