By Stacey Hanke You may not be as influential as you think you are. This may be a bold statement, especially because you don’t know me. But what if I’m right? Have you or your team ever considered how you, your message and the experience people have with you come across? Have you ever given thought as to how your communication may be sabotaging your influence without you even knowing? Most leaders whom I have worked with haven’t given thought to this question much less taken steps to increase their awareness of how their listeners hear and see them (rather than what they believe to be true ..read more

Influencers have never been “one size fits all.” It’s not just a matter of different audiences, either. Sure, brands need influencers with audiences that align with their own target consumers, but brands also need influencers who share their values, their image, and to some extent their voice. This cuts both ways. Brands don’t want their images muddied or tarnished by the wrong influencers, and influencers don’t want their influence diminished by representing the wrong brands. Just ask Kendall Jenner how she feels about the Fyre Festival. And sometimes, brands and influencers change directio ..read more

    Artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural networks – machine learning is leading to an array of complex business solutions for the web-connected world. For many smaller businesses and brands, these “solutions” may seem more problematic than they’re worth. The expertise, the resources, and even the capabilities all seem better suited to enterprise-level applications. At least, they seem that way before you look at your options. Companies like Crafty.AI are bringing Big Data potentials to smaller brands at a value that’s impossible to beat. Using their AI system, your bra ..read more

The team at Influencer Marketing Hub conducted an online survey to help us understand how companies see the state of influencer marketing in 2017. The results clearly show that influencer marketing is going mainstream and as a preferred method of advertising. A few key Stats: Influencer marketing searches have gone up 325% over the last 12 months Over 400 agencies and platforms now have an influencer marketing focus Influencer marketing is the fastest growing customer acquisition marketing tactic 37% of marketers surveyed are dedicating budget for influencer marketing 84% of marketers j ..read more

Don’t just believe the hype around influencer marketing; the proof is in the results. Yes, the modality has become so widely recognized that influencer marketing even caught the attention of 60 Minutes. But we’re marketers; we don’t hop on trends for the sake of being current. We adopt practices that work. Here’s the truth: Influencer marketing as a practice has proven to reach far beyond the capabilities of most advertising methods – both on and offline – and is virtually unparalleled in driving digital sales, social media growth, email signups, and just about every other marketing objective ..read more

“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message.” ― Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook Despite what critics say, influencer marketing has earned its place in the limelight. The results driven by such campaigns are astronomical when compared with even the most effective marketing practices of today. Influencer marketing is essentially word of mouth marketing, which is what makes it so compelling and effective. But all social influencers are not created equal ..read more

“To work with influencers requires engagement and creativity from you. Once you find your influencers, you will need a plan to engage them.” – Evyenia Wilkins, VP of Marketing for UNYQ That is #Truth. One of the most challenging aspects to influencer marketing is getting an influencer’s attention; 59% of marketers have a great deal of trouble with this task. And that’s after influencers are actually found; 75% of marketers claim identification is their single most problematic task in influencer marketing. It is these exact plights that birthed the need for influencer platforms and marketplace ..read more

“We need to move beyond public personas and into micro influencers; and we need to stop confusing popularity and amplification for influence.” ― Danny Brown, Manager of Social Engagement and Insights for OLG Influencer marketing is still a widely misunderstood practice. Many brands hire social authorities to craft blogs, videos, and other forms of content that will drive sales, brand awareness, and other business goals. After the content is published and campaign has run its course, that’s a wrap. If this sounds like a structure your brand has followed, you’re flubbing the magic of influ ..read more

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