An "e-fluential" Force

When Threats can become Opportunities...

A new buzz word for online communications and viral marketing comes from the US and it’s called ‘e-fluentials’.

Burson-Marsteller has identified a group of online movers and shakers who shape the beliefs and attitudes of the cyber community. The idea behind is grounded on viral marketing, and involves the opportunities opened by the massive use of Internet-based communication.

Nowadays, Internet-based technologies have opened new channels of communication that overcame the boundaries of time, and place and allow people to stay in touch with daily life in a way that has surpassed even the wildest human imagination.

Mobiles, computers, Internet-based technologies, and especially online communications such as emails, blogs, podcasts, chatrooms and forums, make communication between individuals far more easy and fast resulting in an unprecedented rate of information exchange.

Internet users can now be connected with anyone around the world, and exchange ideas, opinions and experiences on products, services, brands or business activities that corporations can not control nor should ignore.

Indeed, that’s what e-fluentials do! This group of men and women represents 10 percent of the online population (around 11 million users) who reaches more individuals on more topics than the average online user.

E-fluentials make up most of the buzz created about products and services, and they can be segmented psychographically rather than demographically.

So as reliable sources of information on products and business issues they make waves by disseminating their opinions far beyond the range of their personal social networks.


E-fluentials are news seekers, powerful information ‘banks’ and opinion leaders who communicate with other individuals either online or offline whilst diffusing their knowledge about companies and brands.

They read and reply to corporate websites, blogs, use e-mails, newsgroups, bulletin boards, listservers or any other online communication tool to gather and exchange valuable information about purchasing decisions.

Burson-Marsteller recent research showed that the power of e-fluentials lies on the six key points:

E-fluentials are “Infectious”

They are as likely to spread word of mouth online as they are offline. On average an E-fluential passes on information to 14 individuals. The numbers talk for themselves. As 93 per cent of E-fluentials will share with others an experience with a company or its website either in person or on telephone, while 87% of them will email to friends.


Power of Negative Experience

E-fluentials share a negative experience on a product or brand with more people than with a positive one. Research reveals that on average 11 people will get informed about a positive experience, whereas, 17 in the opposite case.


Gender Affects E-fluential’s Surfing Motives

Men and women have different motives and interests when they go online. For instance, men usually look for views and consult others about technology issues, whereas, women tend to search for information related to health, food issues, or other women’s issues.


Corporate Websites Magnetize E-fluentials

Corporate Websites are the primary tool used by E-fluentials when seeking information about brands, products or services, while their interest is usually spread among a wide range of sectors such as retail, automotive, technology, etc.

E-fluentials Seek for Hidden Facts

Research reveals that 84 percent of E-fluentials have read product reviews or other people opinions on product related features prior to any new purchase they make. In fact, seven out of ten E-fluentials state that they will double-check either online (69%) or offline (72%) the legitimacy of an opinion if they have doubts about its truthfulness.

E-fluentials are Geared up to Enact

E-fluentials “respond to direct email campaigns.” A significant 90 percent of E-fluentials state that they have read unsolicited emails from known sources they trust. In other words, the familiarity of a brand is what motivates them to act positively. A 39 percent also states that they have visited a new website after reading such an email, whereas 21 percent have subscribed to a newsletter or forwarded the email to someone else.

More on E-fluentials: http://www.efluentials.com/pages/home

Check out: Are You e-fluential?