Brilliant Travel Media had a brilliant idea -- tap into a list of the top 50 travel influencers in social media as a way to gain audience for the online travel marketing company.
So Brilliant Travel Media contracted with DataArt to integrate the just-launched Brilliant Travel Media Influencers in Travel website with the Klout API.
Klout, of course, is the social media metrics company, which ranks individuals' social media clout.
The result is Influencers in Travel and its updated rankings of the Top 50 Online Traveler Influencers ranging from the current leader earthXplorer [Klout score 81.21] to #25 LocoGringoCom [57.86] and #50 GotPassport [51].
If you put credence in how Klout measures social media influence, then the fab 50 are among the heavy hitters on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn etc. in travel and are people to know if your travel company wants to drive bookings, promote some stuff or perhaps sway the thinking of thought-leaders.
Brilliant Travel Media says it will update the list every day, so there are plenty of reasons for travel marketers to visit the website often.
Along the way, visitors can sample Brilliant Travel Media's blog posts about effective travel marketing campaigns and new destination management organization launches.
There also will be plenty of website visits from travel social media buffs who thought they had Klout, or clout, that is, but find themselves missing from the list.
Top 50 wannabees eventually also may miss out on travel perks as some hotel chains are taking into account social media influence when doling out travel perks.
Rich Whitaker, president of Brilliant Travel Media, which also publishes the Brilliant Tips travel blog, says the travel influencer ranking is just one of several social media-oriented lists Influencers in Travel will publish from Klout data.
Influencers in Travel also has published the 25 Most Influential Airlines Online, and Whitaker says he's also working on a social media ranking of tour operators.
In addition to helping Brilliant Travel Media in its own online travel marketing business, the idea of Influencers in Travel is to help people and companies make decisions about advertising and promotional activities, Whitaker says.
On the other hand, a World Travel Market report casts doubt on the merits of social media.