Over the years, I have found myself repeating the same script on a number of topics such as having to explain how PR is not just “putting a release on the wire” – please don’t make that your sole PR strategy! Ever more frequently, I’m asked about the differences between some of the key roles in the technology landscape: journalists, analysts, influencers, and key opinion leaders (KOLs).
The media landscape is changing, with many commenting on a decline in journalism and the continued rise in influencers as we adapt to technological change and shifts in consumer behavior. The reality is more complicated as some of the old assumptions about the roles no longer hold true and we see a blurring of lines between traditional and new media.
With that in mind, here are some of the key features of each role in one easily digestible blog post so you look knowledgeable should senior management ever ask.
Journalist
The primary focus of a journalist is to objectively gather and verify information in order to tell a story and report the news. In the tech industry, this includes (but is not limited to) product launches, company announcements, company events, latest industry trends, and any major developments which occur within their beat (the area covered by their expertise). This means the articles you read in newspapers, magazines and from reputable online sources are more than likely to be written by an impartial and seasoned journalist who has carried out research into a topic, offered context, their analysis, and often the insights of industry leaders who provide further depth and context to a story.
These pieces can include interviews, hands-on product reviews, news articles, features geared towards a specific audience and everything in between. In light of the news agenda working at lightspeed, journalists are often short on time due to limited deadlines and the competitive nature of SEO.
Analyst
An analyst is someone whose job it is to focus on the deep understanding of a topic, evaluating its placement in the competitive landscape, predicting trends, and highlighting challenges and potential solutions within an industry. You will often find analysts producing in-depth research documents, data-based forecasts, market analysis, white papers, and content which can help shape and influence (hopefully) informed decisions.
An analyst’s strengths are in interpreting and disseminating complex industry-specific data and technical trends in a way that is more easily digestible to those reading their insights such as key decision-makers within a company.
Influencer
An influencer impacts the purchasing decisions and opinions of others using their online presence and works with brands in a paid capacity. They’re essentially the cool kid at school telling you about the limited edition new trainers and where to get them.
Influencers can be found across large and small platforms alike including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. The main factor impacting an influencer’s choice of which platform they utilize is the type of content they produce. A good influencer knows what makes their brand appealing to their audience(s) and produces the right content to drive engagement. From here, influencers will interact directly with companies like Gallium Ventures in order to provide social media posts which highlight various features and functionalities of a product or service in order to drive traffic, sales or brand awareness.
Without getting into the weeds, influencers can be separated into a few categories including Macro-Influencers (with anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of followers), Micro-Influencers (thousands to tens of thousands of followers) and lastly Nano-Influencers (with much smaller followings but which can be super niche and engaged). This means brands need to think carefully about the types of influencers they want to work with to optimize outcomes. While engagement rate and costs do play a major role in the selection process, the relevance of an influencer to the target audience is crucial. A lot of the time, a Nano-influencer can be far more effective in reaching the audience(s) you’re trying to engage with given their niche specialisms in a particular area. A high number of followers does not always guarantee great results on sales.
KOL (Key Opinion Leader)
Often used interchangeably with “Influencer”, a KOL is someone who has established an area of expertise and is viewed as a trusted source of information, expressing opinions with a higher level of objectivity. If the typical influencer is the one to tell you about a specific brand of cool new headphones, the KOL has tested all the top brands and KNOWS which one you need to buy.
KOL’s often have a narrow focus and can sometimes be industry professionals such as a CEO or CTO, an academic expert, or even a celebrity. Their opinions are highly regarded within an industry, and are often used by journalists, analysts and even influencers to support their findings and topics of discussions. In PR, we focus on making our clients key opinion leaders.
So there you have it, the key differences between a journalist who objectively covers your news, an analyst who helps your business make wise decisions, the influencer who points audiences to your product, and the key opinion leader who bolsters all the above.
If you would like to discuss how we at Gallium Ventures work with all these people, get in touch.