Social Media and Bacon Collide for Another Important List: The Bacon Index.

Another day, another list.

First there was this kerfuffle about the website Klout and its digital privacy – now it’s a discussion of just who is “Influential” on Twitter, with the launch of a tool called PeekYou. (That’s a link to the Forbes article about PeekYou, and the Digital Influencers they rank.)

PeekYou, Forbes, even Klout, are missing the point.

Being influential AT social media, or IN social media or even ABOUT social media does no one any good at all – unless there’s a point to this influence.

As a for instance, Gary Vaynerchuk is awesome, he’s passionate, and he’s the only one allowed to say “Crushing It.” (Because he IS Crushing It.)

But his influence in social media stems from the fact that he developed deep domain expertise in wine – investing well above the required 10,000 hours to know his stuff. (10,000 hours being Malcolm Gladwell’s number – that’s how much time you need to invest in a subject to truly have expertise.)

The point to Gary’s influence? Sell more books, sell more wine. Get speaking gigs. Buy the New York Jets someday.

Wine Influence > Digital Influence > Global Influence. That was the progression for Gary. What’s your progression?

This Brings Us to the Question: Who Is Most Influential About Bacon?

Does it matter?

That. Is. The. Point.

Off the top, there are guys who we know who are involved in cookbooks about Bacon. (Gary Unger.) There are Master Sommeliers who can tell you which wine to drink with bacon. (Rick Bakas.) There is even a company that can sell you the rights to use its copyrighted recipe for the Bacon Explosion.

We have to start this off with a binary question:

Do you care about bacon?

If the answer is no, it doesn’t quite matter who is the most influential about this subject – as you are officially not interested.

There Is No OFFICIAL Bacon Index. And There Shouldn’t Be a Social Media Index.

“Influence” is one of the most peddled buzzwords of 2011 – and it shouldn’t be. Just like “community” and “social media.”

Lists will come and go: today’s influencers are tomorrow’s front-line employees who need to get approval to tweet. Today’s entrepreneurial wunderkinds will move up or move on. Some of the most real, genuine, likable people on the planet – a couple of whom who are on the list, like Chris Brogan and Scott Stratten – are unknowns to 99% of the population – and that population might be struggling with finding the next client, getting the next gig, paying the next bill.

They may be hungry for some bacon – or they may be an Orthodox Jew who refuses to go near the stuff.

Human. Connections.

That’s ALL that counts. Who are you? What can I do for you? How can I help you? What makes you tick?

Go ahead: make a list of your OWN influencers. Use it, or toss it aside.

Even better, make a list of those 50 people – bacon lovers or not – you are connected with and have yet to meet in real life. Then make them your targets for 2012.

That’s Your Bacon Index.

PS: Be sure to give us a whirl over at 12 Minute Marketing – where you can watch one of the free lessons by using this link: Holistic.