The Axis of Influence: Popularity, Reputation, Action

Gavin wrote this excellent post on Friday in which he mapped the key elements of influence (on the social web):

Influence is always a hot topic. Everyone wants to know who has it or how to get it. So, it’s nice to be reminded of what it means and how to recognize it. I agree with Gavin’s break down here. And I like how it reveals less discussed, but still important, territories of influence like Niche (little reach, much respect) and Hype (much reach, little respect).

I want to add to Gavin’s map a measurement of the action that the individual (or brand) can inspire among their followers. Ultimately, being well known and well respected only gets you so far. The final test of your influence comes when you actually make a recommendation or ask your readers to do something. Do they take action? Here’s the new 3D map, with three axis: Popularity, Reputation, and Action.

Now we have a new quadrant reserved for the most successful influencers who have found a way to channel their popularity and reputation into collective action. Perhaps they have a tribe of readers who buys every one of their books when they come out, like Seth Godin. Maybe they’ve used Twitter to inspire evangelists and get loyal customers, like @zappos. Or maybe they’ve channeled a nation-wide movement into a successful campaign for President, like Barack Obama (I promise that I’ll try not to use Obama as an example in every one of my posts about the social web for the rest of the year, but it won’t be easy).

Ultimately, it requires all of these aspects to become a phenomenon in your market (context is always key). But, even if your popularity is relatively weak, you can still achieve success by instigating action.

If you have any examples of influencers who fit into these various quadrants, please leave them in the comments.