(Photo above is Mike Valenti, sports analyst for 97.1 FM.  Photo can be found at: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2010/10/07/let-me-explain-something/)

Influencers surround every company and individual across all jobs and mediums and it isn’t going to change any time soon.  Now that this has been admitted, we can move on to what is really important, which is knowing which influencers are the most important and how to measure their influence on the marketplace.

One of the most common areas where we see influencers in action is sports.  Sports analysts and beat writers constantly talk about their respective teams and sports around the clock.  Radio can be an outdated medium for some; however, a local Michigan FM station 97.1 “The Ticket” has a consistent and strong following in the area.  This station specifically monitors all Detroit sports and constantly updates its viewers on every occurrence that is Detroit.  For a Detroit sports team to see how their audience is viewing their actions, it is very easy for them to turn on the station and see what is going on, good or bad.  Also, measuring the listeners of the station at a given time is not too difficult considering radio stations pride themselves on their monthly and weekly numbers because it is one of the only ways for radio to measure its own success.