As discussed in the first post, the accounts that belong to each community converse with a greater intensity than they have with other communities. However, it is also important to identify the communication capacity that exists between communities, since this will be the channel to establish strategies based on complementary interests, such as cross-selling, business-to-business (B2B), business-to-customer (B2C) and costumer-to-cutomer (C2C).
Figure 4 shows interactively the interaction capacity (sized according to the number of channel-accounts) among the six largest communities.
Fig. 4. Interconnection capacity between virtual communities
A priori, we observe the great communication capacity that exists between communities 1 and 2 (220 channels) and 1 and 3 (201 channels). Otherwise, the community 6 that only has 78 channels to communicate with the other five communities.
In order to take advantage of the communication capacity that exists between communities, it is necessary to know who they are in these communities, what they do and why they do it. The first question will be answered in the following analyzes, leaving the other answers for posts 3 and 4.
The first version you have of an influencer in online social media is that of public persons with a large number of followers, which gives them a great ability to spread their messages, be a leader of opinion or reference on one or several topics. This version, although valid, may be somewhat limited when it comes to specific issues such as luxury and sustainable tourism.
Initially, on specific issues an influencer has to have a large number of connections with the accounts that make up the virtual community to which it belongs. Thus, these influencers can spread messages (ex. opinions about products, promotions), become a reference for the community (ex. opinion leader), among others. In the event that an influencer also has a large following, this could be used to expand the current community.
On this approach the great influencers identified in the communities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively are the accounts: @luxury__travel, @IMVoyager, @MrScottEddy, @UN, @UNWTO and @antoniocphoto.
An inspection of the profile of these accounts on Twitter is shown in Figure 5:
Fig. 5. Main influencers in each virtual community
Fig. 5. Main influencers in each virtual community
The fact that four accounts have their focus on luxury tourism (@luxury__travel, @IMVoyager, @MrScottEddy, @antoniocphoto) is remarkable. In addition, only the @UNWTO account mentions the sustainability aspect and the @UN account does not have an explicit reference to tourism. Another relevant aspect is that the four people are dedicated to promoting this type of tourism through blogs and personal web pages. It is also observed that the accounts of organizations are related to the United Nations, which gives them a more institutional than commercial character.
The previous characteristics of the influencers give a first indication of what might be the common interests discussed in those communities. Certainly, you have to have more details to define a clearer profile of those interests. This task will be developed in the third post, through the study of the content of the messages.
Another role that is important to highlight are the accounts that by their position in the network have the capacity to serve as a bridge between communities. This ability arises because those accounts are usually found in the "best" way to communicate different communities. These bridge-accounts (also called brokers) can control the flow of information, causing the message to flow between communities or interrupt communication.
Likewise, brokers can be used to transmit innovation information, such as, for example, getting the standards or good practices of preserving the environment in the tourism sector from the virtual communities that generate them to the virtual communities of the commercial tourism sector.
Likewise, brokers can be used to transmit innovation information, such as, for example, getting the standards or good practices of preserving the environment in the tourism sector from the virtual communities that generate them to the virtual communities of the commercial tourism sector.
In this study it was found that the main brokers are: @luxury__travel, @MrScottEddy, @PassportsHeart, @TriplePundit, @soumna, @lonelyplanet, @petervonstamm, @fotoviajar, @GlobalGoalsUN, @earthXplorer and @QuintaRealVsa.
This list shows that the account @luxury__travel is both influential and bridge, which gives it a power of influence and integration in your community.
Next, Figure 6 (see link) shows in an interactive way the main influencers of each community (sized by their number of connections) and the main bridges between communities (sized by the percentage of information flow that they regulate between communities).
By double clicking on the @UNWTO influencers, its five brokers are highlighted, of which @TriplePundit and @GlobalGoalsUN remark in their profile on Twitter the topic of sustainability.
This far I present part of the results of the study I developed on luxury and sustainable tourism. This topic will continue with more details in posts 2 and 3.
In this second part there was a greater understanding and meaning (insights) of the group (virtual communities) and individual (influencers and brokers) behaviors identified.
These insights in the context of luxury and sustainable tourism were reflected with information about accounts whose capacities of communication, influence and information flow control can be converted into actions that generate commercial or non-commercial value. Some of these actions could be: identification of new markets through virtual communities and the establishment of alliances with influencers and brokers for the promotion and development of commercial activities or social responsibility.
Posts 1 and 2 detailed part of the scope of social listening in social media through the social network analysis. It is a first approach that can be deepened both in group and individual behaviors in social networks. In this sense, as a first step I would recommend including the following component:
- Influencer by closeness: as explained in point 4.1.2 an influencer has the ability to reach many other accounts, but does not imply that there is a guarantee that this will happen "quickly". In this sense, the proximity influencer does have this characteristic that is very important for a new type of social unit: digital tribes. In these groups their relationship in online social media arises from sharing personal experiences very particular, which in the world of luxury and sustainable tourism is related to exclusive interests such as the practice of extreme water sports, expeditions to ecosystems of limited accessibility, among others. Virtual access to these exclusive groups requires the identification of accounts "close" to them.
See you in posts 3 and 4.
See you in posts 3 and 4.
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