In every setting — the workplace, a hobby group, or even your local community — there are always a few people who seem to know everyone. They’re the ones who connect people, make introductions, and become the natural “hubs” of a group.
Data science has a name for them: high-centrality nodes. And understanding how they operate can help you grow your own influence without exhausting yourself trying to meet every single person individually.
Popularity and Blogger Outreach
In much the same way that blogger outreach connects brands with bloggers to amplify reach, influence in social networks depends heavily on connection strategy. Blogger outreach isn’t just about getting someone popular to talk about you—it’s about building authentic, relevant relationships that fold into existing networks and boost visibility in meaningful ways.
When done well, outreach leverages credibility, relevance, and mutual benefit—ingredients also central to how high-centrality nodes operate. They don’t simply reach people; they create pathways through which influence and trust flow naturally.
A Karate Club That Split in Two
Back in the 1970s, anthropologist Wayne Zachary studied a university karate club. He mapped out who spoke to whom, creating a social network of the group.
Eventually, conflict broke out between the club’s instructor and the administrator. The club split into two factions.
The outcome was striking: most members sided with the instructor. Not necessarily because he was more likeable — but because he had a direct line to everyone. He had every member’s phone number, giving him unrivaled access to the entire network.
The administrator didn’t.
This case has become a classic example of network centrality: the more direct ties you have, the more influence you wield.
The Shortcut to Popularity
If you want to expand your network quickly, you don’t need to meet dozens of people. The “lazy” but highly effective method is simple: befriend the hub.
- Minimal effort → One connection can open doors to many others.
- Fast introductions → Hubs naturally introduce new people, saving you from awkward cold outreach.
- Instant credibility → Being vouched for by the hub makes others more willing to accept you.
From a data science perspective, this is about maximizing reach per connection: each edge in the network gives you access to multiple nodes.
The Hidden Risk
There’s a downside. If your entire network relies on just one hub, you’re fragile.
If that hub leaves, loses status, or simply drifts away, you may suddenly find yourself cut off from the wider group. In graph theory terms, this is called low redundancy — you lack backup paths to maintain your connections.
Playing It Smart
The smarter move is to treat hubs as launchpads, not crutches:
- Join their circle – Show up at the same events, volunteer for projects, and participate.
- Branch out – Start forming connections with others in the group without always relying on the hub.
- Diversify – Involve yourself in multiple groups so your network doesn’t depend on one person.
Over time, this increases both your degree centrality (number of direct connections) and your betweenness centrality (your ability to bridge different groups).
Final Thought
Popularity isn’t only about charisma or being naturally extroverted — it’s about position in the network.
Where you sit in a social structure can matter more than how many people you try to meet. By strategically connecting with hubs, then steadily building and diversifying your own ties, you can grow influence that’s resilient and lasting.
Because whether in blogger outreach, karate clubs, or careers, the strongest position is one where you can stand on your own — connected, but independent.