Steve Young says, “In recent years, influencer marketing has exploded. In fact, an estimated 56 percent of brands increased their influencer marketing budgets in 2016. Truth be told, you may find it increasingly difficult to meet your business goals if you don’t relate with influencers, and choose to do it all alone.The concept of building relationships with industry experts — who have a loyal community, authority and the personality to influence other people — is what drives growth. Once you establish strong relationships with influencers, you can almost bet you will... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “From YouTube to Snapchat, the biggest social influencers usually have a presence across all social media channels.But what are the most effective?As the below tweet from high-profile influencer, Tanya Burr, shows – it’s no longer a case of the more the better.Here are a few key takeaways from Econsultancy’s Voice of the Influencer report, in association with Fashion and Beauty Monitor, highlighting where influencers are choosing to focus and why.Instagram is key for fashion and beauty influencersNow reaching the 500m user milestone, Instagram has... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Working with social influencers has become commonplace for brands over the past few years, particularly in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sectors.In fact, with consumers now preferring the authentic voice of the influencer over even the biggest brands, we are beginning to see a shift in power, with influencers desiring greater control and even more autonomy.‘The Voice of the Influencer’, a new Econsultancy report published in association with Fashion & Beauty Monitor, delves into this topic.Here are a few key takeaways from the report, detailing how brands... [...]

Nicolas Chabot says, “Influencer marketing is a complex space.As the practice evolves, multiple propositions compete on the market ranging from talent management agencies and specialist influencer boutiques, to influencer marketplaces and dedicated influencer management platforms.There have been several high profile examples of influencer marketing going awry, which has led to increased pressure from authorities to bring clarity on paid publications from influencers.This has also contributed to the overall noise and confusion that can overwhelm any marketer wondering how best to approach... [...]

Brandon Leibowitz says, “The fight to become a top-ranking site in search engines had compelled many site owners to play dirty for a few years. From paid links and keyword stuffing to spam comments and invisible text, people used to manipulate their techniques in such a way that they’d be guaranteed one of the top-ranking positions in search engines. However, changes in Google’s algorithms have ensured that sites making use of these techniques will get penalized and delisted. With these changes, site owners can now ensure better ranking with the help of healthy, white hat SEO techniques.At... [...]

Jeff Rajeck says, “Reaching consumers in Asia-Pacific can be difficult.There are so many countries and cultures to consider that analysis paralysis quickly sets in.Using a local influencer to carry your brand message could help, but there are a few things you need to know about the market first.Asia-Pacific (APAC) has an influencer market which is growing in, well, influence.Influencers are loosely defined as anyone with a sizable social media following and they can play a significant role in an APAC marketing campaign.The reason they are so useful is that influencers have a ready-made... [...]

Small Business Editor says, “Influencer Marketing Days, happening Nov. 14-15 at the TKP New York Conference Center in New York City, takes things a step further and is a starting point for those involved in any aspect of influencer marketing in their businesses.“Whether you are involved in PR or integrated marketing, community development or social media management, it doesn’t matter,” said conference chair Geno Prussakov in an email to Small Business Trends. “If you are looking to leverage the power of influencers, this conference is for you.”Events will cover influencer marketing... [...]

SBT team says, “Two new events have been added to the Feature Calendar for November!Read more about both events, each with a starting date of Nov. 14, in our calendar below.Influencer Marketing Days, a two day event held at the TKP Conference Center located in Midtown, Manhattan, will cover issues pertinent to this burgeoning industry. Information shared at the conference will include research and statistics, different kinds of influencers, influencer marketing channels and more.Meanwhile NextCon 16, being touted by organizers as the must-attend business event of 2016, will be held at... [...]

Todd Cameron says, “Influencer marketing has been around for a few years, but with the current level of media coverage and discussion around it, it is fair to say that 2016 marks its growth inflection point.No longer are marketers asking, “What’s influencer marketing?” Today, many are asking, “Should we develop an influencer marketing channel?” or, “How much effort and budget should we put behind it this year?”Embracing something new, regardless of how advantageous it might be, is difficult. It’s change, and change in an organization is rarely... [...]

Patricio Robles says, “In an effort to reach consumers via social channels, in recent years a growing number of brands large and small have embraced influencer marketing.But as evidenced by Essena O’Neill, a popular 18-year-old influencer from Australia, influencer marketing has a dark side.That dark side was on display for all to see recently when Scott Disick, a television personality best known for his relationship with reality TV star and socialite Kourtney Kardashian, was caught posting an ostensibly paid promotion for Bootea protein shakes”.Influencer marketing is becoming... [...]