Influencer marketing is a lot like dating. For your campaigns, you want a loyal, genuine partner that’s willing to make a long-term commitment. Sound familiar? But in the hunt for the perfect match, many marketers are tempted to speed up the process with “blind dates” or “speed dating.” They reach out without knowing the influencer personally. They’re too forward with a weak relationship. They send out generic mass emails to try and get the attention of multiple suitors. Suffice it to say, these tactics just don’t work. So, don’t put yourself through the pain of blind speed dating when it com ..read more

Unless this is your first day in the marketing/business world, chances are, you’ve heard a thing or two about influencer marketing. Now, the concept of influencer marketing has been around for many, many years. In essence, it’s simply the practice of working with a credible figure in a certain community to talk about a product or service in a positive light. Back in the 1940s, doctors put their expert stamp of approval on smoking Camel cigarettes. In the 1970s, Puma worked with Pele on a very subtle campaign promoting their shoes. Fast forwarding to the present day, social media has made the ..read more

Bagging a social media influencer can make or break a business, especially one that is on the cusp of breaking out and just needs that last push from a recognized brand to make good. The latest research has found that influencer marketing has generated about $1 billion for businesses, which makes it an attractive strategy. Influencer marketing has soared over the past few years, and it’s not just about a business hooking a celebrity. In fact, a recent study found that 70% of Millennials are more likely to pay attention to a non-celebrity influencer. Social media is clearly the place where aud ..read more

The core objectives of influencer marketing have been around for a very, very long time. Everyone across the public and private sector understands the general idea of pairing with a well-known and respected name to help expose their messaging to a certain (and bigger) audience. In many ways, the practice is more or less a stamp of approval deeming a product or service as credible. As influencer marketing becomes more and more widespread, understanding the granular details before, during, and after a campaign is incredibly important. In the age of “constant connectedness,” a botched influencer ..read more

Brands from virtually all industries have had great success in influencer marketing because it provides an opportunity to connect with a wider audience than most traditional marketing strategies allow. However, it is important to note that these campaigns were a success because the brand partnered with the right influencer. While influencer and affiliate marketing are crucial gateways to expanded audience reach, they will only be effective if those customers are still part of the business’s relevant market. Exposing the brand to uninterested customers is just a waste of everyone’s time and mo ..read more

Ready to get your brand out there and tap into segments of your audience that you have had trouble reaching in the past? If your answer is yes, then affiliate marketing is exactly what you need to be paying attention to. The premise is straightforward. You connect with affiliates who will promote your brand in return for compensation based on performance. As a merchant, you only pay when the affiliate can produce results in the form of lead generation or sales. It couldn’t be simpler. Except that figuring out where to start can be a challenge. There are multiple avenues that affiliates can us ..read more

Influencer marketing was huge this year, and that trend is on target to not only grow – but explode – in the coming year. Surveys tell us that 84% of marketers say that they are interested in launching influencer campaigns in the next year, and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do word of mouth from their friends. If you want to keep up, you need an influencer strategy of your own. What better place to get inspiration than from brands that are already doing the influencer thing the right way. Many brands have good influencer strategies, but some are knock it out of the par ..read more

We’re doing something special for this month’s influencer spotlight and focusing on influencers in different verticals who have all written gift guides. These bloggers will show you the best gifts for all your favorite people. As a bonus instead of focusing on 5 bloggers we’re giving you a 6th to really showcase there’s a place for every brand. From Tech to Fashion to Travel, they showcase the best gifts of the season.   Alyssa Ramos Los Angeles, California, United States Total Reach: 200.5K  MozRank: 5.17  Alexa Global Rank: 489K Blog Topics: Travel, Solo Adventurer ..read more

Product placement and sponsored advertising have been around for years. However, people are getting tired of these direct marketing tactics, particularly with the rise of subtle, inbound marketing methods such as influencer marketing. In fact, almost half the customers are blocking ads, while only 14% can remember when they last saw an ad and what it promoted. Instead of focusing on the number of followers alone, brands are now emphasizing engagement. That’s why micro-influencers, who tend to have fewer but very engaged followers, are taking the influencer marketing world by storm. According ..read more

As the holiday season quickly approaches, we are focusing the spotlight on baking influencers. These bloggers post about sweet treats for the holidays, getting kids involved in the baking fun and trends & new twists to decorate your favorite desserts. The content creators we are featuring love offering creative new baking ideas and engaging with their audience.   Rosie Alyea Toronto, Ontario, Canada Total Reach: 665.3K  MozRank: 5.39  Alexa Global Rank: 912K Blog Topics: Baking, Cakes, Sprinkles, Recipes Affiliate & AD Networks: Amazon Associates, A ..read more