Nikki Gilliland says, “Do you know a sponsored Instagram post when you see one?According to a recent survey, a surprising proportion of consumers remain in the dark, with 77% unaware what the #sp hashtag stands for (‘sponsored’) and 48% even unsure what the #ad hashtag means.A lack of consumer understanding is not the only problem, of course. Confusion over how brands and influencers should label paid-for content remains a big issue. As a result, CAP (the Committee of Advertising Practice) has recently issued a fresh set of guidelines to help social influencers and brands stick to... [...]

Chuck Moran says, “Influencer marketing is one of the most exciting marketing tactics brands are using today, uniting branded content development with the amplification power of networked social media audiences, within or outside of the social networks themselves. The parallels with PR abound — content married to the distributive power of media/social platforms, and the challenge of measuring the organic impact of an earned media placement.As marketers wade into the burgeoning space of influencer marketing, they should keep in mind what the PR industry has learned when it comes to measurement.To... [...]

Derek Newton says, “Influencer marketing has been a buzzword in public relations, sales and marketing for some time now. Its durability is a testament to its potential power to drive engagements and sales. But it’s also a testament to how little those in it — the brands and influencers alike — really understand it.From the outside, influencer marketing is pretty simple and perfectly tailored to a communications world dominated by social media and content overload. The idea is that those who need to reach key audiences connect with people who have influence in those segments... [...]

Sophia Bernazzani says, “Has a celebrity ever convinced you to buy something?It’s okay if the answer is yes — we’ve all been there. In fact, just recently, a famous dog helped convince me to purchase a GoPro camera. For a creature who can’t speak, he’s a pretty effective marketer.Loki the Wolfdog’s Instagram post is a successful example of influencer marketing, which involves developing relationships with influential personalities to promote your brand to the influencer’s audience. Loki the Wolfdog has over 1 million Instagram followers GoPro may not have otherwise been... [...]

Steve Young says, “When you’re the only one making decisions on how to reach more users for your product, knowing which direction to take can be tough. In the past four years, influencer marketing has become a reliable customer acquisition channel for software-as-a-service startups, app developers and more.But you as already know, there are different types of influencers. Micro-influencers are influencers with less than a million followers. These followers can be on social media, write blogs, are on YouTube, etc. The bottom line is: Are these followers loyal and engaging?To determine... [...]

Stacy DeBroff says, “While both Influencer Marketing and Content Marketing strategies generate rich, compelling storytelling, copy, images and video, their approaches and results couldn’t be more different.In today’s rapidly morphing marketing landscape, brands often find paid-for content confusing particularly when it comes to differentiating between content marketing and influencer marketing. With brands and their agency partners increasingly confusing the two, they risk diluting the powerful attributes that come with each.With content marketing, brands pay to have very specific content... [...]

Ted Dhanik says, ““If you find yourself dumbfounded by the notion that 21-year-old Logan Paul could become a millionaire with goofy online videos like this, then you’re probably not a millennial,” correspondent Bill Whitaker said last fall during an edition of 60 Minutes. During the segment that followed, Whitaker explained the social media influencer phenomenon to a viewership that may know little-to-nothing about it.Influencer marketing — if you’re one of those viewers — is seen as a way, maybe even the way, to connect with Gen Y and millennials, the age groups... [...]

Ian McKee says, “The first known instance of ‘influencer marketing’ was in the late 19th century. Yeah, you read that right — 1873. Jules Verne, a hugely influential author, was known to be writing another adventure novel when he was lobbied by transport companies for mentions.Perhaps if Jules had been a millennial, then ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ would have been an Instagram Story featuring definitely-not-awkward contract-fulfilling selfies taken on the Orient Express.I’m sure the world would have been a richer place.New tricks for old dogsYou can see my point, through... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “As more brands turn to social media to reach and engage consumers, many naturally choose to work with influencers to front campaigns.The process isn’t always easy, of course.As highlighted in Econsultancy’s Voice of the Influencer report, there appears to be somewhat of a power struggle between brands and influencers, with the main challenges involving strategy and motivation.So, here’s a bit of insight into the biggest mistakes brands can make, and why it’s important to avoid them.Choosing influence over authenticityThe natural instinct for brands is... [...]

Jonathan Long says, “Influencer marketing is one of the hottest, and effective, ways to get your brand in front of a massive targeted audience. Why? Because it works, and works extremely well. My agency has been in the influencer marketing game since long before it was a buzzword, and it’s become such a large business that we launched a second agency, blerrp, as a stand-alone influencer marketing brand.It allows brands to connect with their audience in a more organic way, when compared to traditional forms of digital advertising. There are still some CMOs and executives that aren’t... [...]