Gain maximum Leverage by Building Relationship with People of Influence ('Max Connectors')

Internet marketing consultants may benefit from targeting Max Connectors, a phrase coined by research firm Marketing Sherpa to refer to users who have over 500 social connections on the internet.

According to the company - which takes its name from the Sherpas in Nepal who act as guides for those climbing Everest - these people could prove to be "especially valuable" to industry advertisers as they can be instrumental in the spread of news regarding positive product and brand experiences.

It was found that Max Connectors have a variety of reasons for following or befriending firms on the social web, the most prolific being to learn more about new services, features and products, with 61 per cent citing this as a reason.

Furthermore, 48 per cent do so in order to uncover a business's policies, culture or environmental responsibilities, while 41 per cent of daily users say these factors compel them to connect.

Learning about sales and special offers, however, was seen to be less of an incentive for Max Connectors, with 46 per cent expressing interest in this, compared to 65 per cent of daily visitors and 64 per cent of all respondents in the survey.

Senior analyst Sergio Balegno said of Max Connectors: "They exemplify the new social consumer."

Source: Marketing Sherpa