【明報專訊】Today social media influencers seem to be everywhere. In the age of digital marketing, they are like popular heroes who help spread the gospel of virtues for corporate brands. Social media marketers are constantly buzzing with talk about such influencers, our discussions of "valuable relations" have become ubiquitous on social media. I mentioned in my last column how I first encountered the term "influencer" when watching a lifestyle television show about how the fashion industry had young influencers act as peer models and commentators and write blogs and post photographs on social media. The more they write and post, the greater visibility the brand will achieve. In general, how do we measure a person's social media influence? Typically, we look at numbers, like that of his Facebook fans, that of his Twitter and Instagram followers and that of his LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations. Then we check him out, by googling him for his background and checking his Klout Score, Kred Score and PeerIndex Score. But apart from quantities that indicate popularity, companies are increasingly focusing on the quality of influence. A good social media influencers must have good speaking and writing abilities, but he is also supposed to exude confidence, speak fast, look photogenic and be eccentric.