Popluarity, Influence, Content

"Popularity is an expression of volume while influence is an expression of value."

This quote from a respondent to Vocus and Brian Solis' survey resonated most with me as I read through the "What Makes a Social Media Influencer." With the universiality of the internet and the opportunity for anyone with access to create his or her own content on the web, it is oftentimes difficult to stand out from the crowd and to extend a reach farther than your own personal circle of connections. Especially in an industry where human social relevancy is key, content is inevitably difficult to be original and more captivating than big name companies; it is increasingly difficult to extend reach when there is so much information, social media networks, and other online sites competing for attention. These issues of content creation and extension were touched upon in "The Importance of Content Curation."

57% of respondents to the Solis survey agreed that a company with only a few fans, friends, and followers of its site, all of whom are tightly connected and maintain interactive relationships, was therefore, the most influential. A small but close knit community is more valuable and successful than that of a large and loosely (if at all) connected community. Regarding Rhapsody, as it is a Washington-based company, has a tightly knit community of Washingtonians. According to their Facebook page's limited insights, its most popular city of followers is from New York, ranging in the ages of 18-24.

My question regarding what makes a site influential or not regards monetizing such a site. If a successfully influential or valuable site has only a few tightly knit community members, how will it command the attention of big name sponsors and advertisements? Companies only begin to ask for advretising quotes on far-reaching sites with a large fan base whether interactive (visible comments or re-posts) or not (with simply a high view count). I believe, like many of the respondents in the Solis survey that touched upon the gray areas  between the two, that popularity is a necesssity of influence; one may not be able to exist without the other.