Channeling passion: Social media influencers as organizational listening agents

During the past 20 years, the practice of public relations has undergone a radical transformation as organizations now operate in a multi-forum digital environment where a multitude of passionate voices are striving to be heard – hence the calls for organizational listening. At the same time, social media influencers have appeared as prominent intermediaries between organizations and their publics. This article combines literature on influencer relations and organizational listening, and through a case study method, suggests how passionate social media influencers could be harnessed to serve organizational listening and contribute to the strategic alignment of organizations. We propose that influencers could offer organizations not only attractive opportunities for online promotion through their content creation, but also act as ‘listening agents’, as advocates for their followers, and as extensions to organizations’ voicing and listening architectures. By channeling their passion and the ideas, thoughts, and sentiments of passionate publics, influencers can help organizations align and develop their communication, operations, and even performance in the tumultuous digital environment. • We examine how two NGOs have utilized influencers in organizational listening. • Through a case study, five key steps were identified in this process. • Influencers could act as organizational ‘listening agents’. • Influencers can extend organizations’ voicing and listening architectures.