Whenever I speak on influencer marketing, I inevitably get asked: Are there any influencer marketing tools that can my life easier? After all the work involved in influencer identification alone could require a tremendous amount of time, especially once you understand my influencer marketing definition and its broad implications. And that is only the beginning…
Influencer Marketing
How To Become A Social Media Influencer and Make Money From It
Believe it or not, a lot of marketers – and younger professionals – often ask me this question. So here you go, my advice on how to become a social media influencer, and following the advice below, actually make some money from it. Gone are the days when you have to leave the comforts of…
How Social Media Influence is Impacting Our Purchasing Decisions
Just how much influence do social networks have on our everyday lives? A lot, as many recent studies have shown. Social media reaches a vast pool of potential customers willingly sharing their locations, age ranges, and preferences that allow marketers to precisely aim their advertising campaigns at just the right demographic and area. Aside from…
The Definitive Guide to Instagram Affiliate Marketing
One of the ways in which influencers from all industries are trying to monetize their social media influence is through Instagram affiliate marketing. With Instagram becoming so popular globally and having an active and engaging audience, Instagram affiliate marketing is one of the top ways in which influencers can monetize their social media followings – 1…
What is Influencer Marketing? Your Definition is WAY Too Narrow: Influence is EVERYWHERE in Social Media
About a year ago, I announced that I would be writing my next book on influencer marketing The Business of Influence. But rather than creating a blog post about this new book, I created a campaign on Publishizer, a platform I highly recommend to anyone interested in writing a book. After selling hundreds of books…
The Influencer Marketing ROI of Creating and Publishing a Roundup Post
You’ve probably seen blog posts before saying, “10 Experts Choose Their Favorite Social Media Speaker” or “27 Influencers Share Their Favorite Influencer Marketing Book.” These are examples of what one would call a roundup post, and they are a powerful form of influencer marketing when strategically planned and implemented correctly, especially but not limited to…
An Insider’s Look at the Influencer Marketing Industry
Recently, I had the pleasure and honor with working together with one of the leading influencer marketing technology companies, OpenInfluence, one of eight leading platforms that were chosen by Pinterest to become official influencer marketing partners. The culmination of my work together with OpenInfluence was the co-creation of an ebook looking at how AI is revolutionizing…
The Struggle is Real: Finding the Right Influencer for Your Brand
On the surface, influencer marketing seems simple enough. Find an online influencer, pay them some money and watch them drive new faces to your product. Of course, anybody who has ever tried influencer marketing knows that it is far easier said than done finding the right influencer for your brand. The truth is that not…
Free Influencer Marketing Ebook: How AI is Revolutionizing Influencer Marketing
Don’t want to read the whole post and just want to download the free influencer marketing ebook? No worries: Click here to download the free influencer marketing ebook right away! As I proceed forward in writing my book on influencer marketing, The Business of Influence, I continue to be amazed at how widespread influencer marketing…
Influence is Based on the Quality of Content Before the Reach
In my neighborhood, every day of the week, at the same time, there is a young Latino who comes to practice his soccer moves on the forecourt of the church. I often stop to watch him, fascinated by his skill. The other day, I approach and ask him if he is part of a professional…
Influencer Marketing is About Community, Not a Campaign
(this post first appeared on TechHQ here: http://techhq.com/2018/04/influencer-marketing-is-about-community-not-a-campaign/) The number one question I get asked from marketing executives as a social media speaker these days is all about influencer marketing, so much that I have decided to dedicate writing a book on the topic (The Business of Influence) because I believe influencer marketing is one of the least…
How to Easily Find and Connect with Influencers on Twitter
Why connect with influencers? Have you ever heard the expression that sometimes one plus one equals three? It’s bad math but a great concept that can help you grow your business or personal brand fast. When you combine your efforts with someone else in your niche – not a competitor but someone with a similar…
Redefining Influence Marketing Today
To the end of ‘influenceratis’ We have seen scandals of fake news, fake advertisements, fake accounts and fake profiles made the headlines of all media. Cases of fraud (or the limit) have followed one another, revealed to the big days. Several studies have shown the existence of false accounts and false subscribers including Facebook where…
Fake News: The Hidden Face of Influence Marketing
The dark industry of fake news In 2017, ¨fake news¨ was voted the word of the year by the Collins dictionary. No wonder, in recent years it is one of the most popular ¨buzzwords¨ on the Web and social networks. This is not a recent phenomenon. Trump did not invent the tactics of false news,…
Building Credibility and Influence With A Corporate Blog
Although many predict its imminent death, with the popularity of vloggers and the rise of podcasts, blogs are more than ever at the center of digital marketing strategies. They are the key and an indispensable element in establishing credibility and building influence on the Web and social networks. Internet users spend three times more time…
20 Influencer Marketing Trends to be Realized by 2020
The risky challenge of social media predictions for influencer marketing trends When you write a monthly column on a platform of professional bloggers, you’re called on to make predictions. It can be a very risky adventure. However, if we look at the changes that are taking place and the emerging trends, it’s possible to get…
Deciphering the Five Levels in the Pyramid of Influencer Marketing
Sometime ago I began to develop my own version of Maslow’s hierarchical pyramid of needs, adapted to social media. My goal was to be able to identify more precisely when influencers stand out and reveal themselves in the learning and adoption curve of social networks and different platforms, and in doing so create a modern…
How Influencer Marketing Brings True Value to Your Business
Influencer Marketing has significant and tangible benefits for business and is not a trend that will fade away anytime soon. Brands are a singular entity amongst hundreds of millions of users in social media. It can be a lonely and somewhat depressing experience when you can’t create any traction on social. Instead of trying to…
The Evolution of Influencer Marketing in Social Media
In April, I highlighted the 5th anniversary of my contribution to Maximize Social Business‘s social media blog. An important milestone in my career that I wanted to mention because it shows me once again that blogs prove to be the key – an influential marketing mistress. This key that allowed me to open many doors…
Confluence Marketing : The Convergence Of Content And Influence
The Yin and Yang of Digital Marketing Today, content marketing and relationships with influencers form a winning combination. They’re an inseparable pair for businesses and organizations. The relevance of the content allows brands to stand out on social networks. The quality of the relationship with influencers favors a better distribution and message reception with targeted…
Influence 2.0: The Future of Influence Marketing
New study report by Brian Solis, in collaboration with Traackr and TopRank Marketing “To help set our bearings, I partnered with influencer relationship management software provider Traackr to survey brand strategists and marketers around the world. The goal was to learn how influencer marketing is evolving and how to connect the dots between ¨influencer marketing¨…
The Gap Between Influencer Marketing and Recommendations
More than 75% of brands and companies recently surveyed indicate they will increase their budget for content production and social media influencers. However, influence marketing has suddenly become so popular, to the point of becoming the most overused ¨buzzword¨ of the year. There seems to be some confusion between recommendations or spokesperson campaigns with strategies…
How Affiliate Marketing Helps the Fashion Industry Stay Ahead of the Game
How to Measure Influencer Marketing Strategy Results
ROI remains the key issue facing organizations When I meet a new client to develop an influence marketing strategy, his first concern is always how he will get the best return on his investment. Each year, the ROI of influencer campaigns is one of the priority issues for companies and organizations. But they still seem…
The Rise of Niche and Micro-Influencers
The Identity Crisis of Social Media Influencer Marketing Over the past few years, influencer marketing has become one of social media biggest buzzwords. This trend has literally ignited businesses and agencies. In the wake of the tremendous success of visual content platforms rich with millennials (such as YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram), we have seen the…
How Marketers Compensate Influencers Based on Performance
As a marketer have you ever been given a price for a piece of influencer created content that has made you nervous? Have you flinched at paying for a piece of content that hasn’t been created yet or have worried that your spend may not pan out like you hope? While pretty much all marketers and brands…
10 Big Changes In Influencer Marketing You Need to Understand
What changed? Every fall, when it comes to the statistics, I realize how the performance predictions and trends are challenging. In the era of digital Darwinism, no one can accurately predict what will happen. A crystal ball does not exist, and there are no shortcuts. All we can do is observe what is happening, and to…
Why Affiliate Marketing is Influencer Marketing’s New Best Friend
A few months ago I was consulting with a client who told me that they were giving their influencers individualized links to track their performance and then were paying the top performers. I said, “oh so you’re implementing affiliate marketing?” The client said, “no that is spammy this isn’t spammy.” That was kind of a…
The Five Pillars of Social Media Influencer Marketing
The rise of the influence of connected consumers Over the years, with the proliferation of social platforms and apps available on the Web, communications and marketing have experienced radical changes. Connected consumers, now better informed are forcing companies to adopt less invasive approaches to inbound marketing and social selling. From the 4 P’s of traditional…
Influencer Marketing: How to Supercharge Engagement with Your Content
While many companies are spending budget money “buying” relationships with “influencers” chasing KPIs of “social reach,” others (including myself) are including the concepts of influencer marketing in their day-to-day organic social media and content marketing activities. This is done through the simple concept of utilizing content to engage with social media users. Once you understand…
CEOs: Please Avoid the Influencer Marketing Trap of Influenceratis
The social media influence marketing is extremely popular with brands and marketing agencies. All the studies show that the vast majority of enterprises and organizations plan to increase their marketing budget and use influencers. For professional industry consultants who have, over the years, built their credibility and have become leaders in their sector, this should…
6 Challenges for Public Relations with Social Media Influencers
Over the last 20 years, the rise of the Web and the emergence of social media has fundamentally changed the role of public relations (PR). To regain the confidence of consumers, who trust peer – to – peer recommendations (P2P) and expert opinions more than publicity, organizations and brands must now appeal to influencers to distribute…
Climbing Up the Ladder of Social Media Influence
The Emergence of Social Media Influencers Twenty-five years after the advent of the World Wide Web, the Internet, and social media are omnipresent in our society. They influence how we operate and our behaviors in most aspects of our daily lives; from home to school, work to personal relationships and leisure. There’s a transfer…
Influencers: Paid or Earned Media?
Influencer marketing has never been more popular with businesses and organizations. Consumers no longer trust the brand or media and corporations. Marketers and public relations people have understood the importance of going through the influencers to reach their customers again. However, entrepreneurs and leaders of corporations still misunderstand the role and function of influencers. The…
Does Your Influencer Marketing Strategy have a Content-Centric Approach?
Influencer marketing and content marketing: Two key areas that will continue to see increased budget spend for companies of all sizes. While businesses are struggling to get greater ROI from their spend in these areas, one easy way of getting more bang for your buck is to think of combining the two seemingly different concepts…
Personal Branding Lessons From Joe Bonamassa
Influencer marketing is largely based on the digital identity and brand image conveyed in social media. Marketers are clearly aware of their influence, and J&R Adventures, produce the work themselves, and they’ve chosen to work with the public rather than for the radio and music industry. Today, Joe Bonamassa is continually on tour, crisscrossing the planet to meet…
How to Reach Out to Social Media Influencers and Bloggers – Podcast Ep. 120
Today I want to talk about how to reach out to social media influencers, bloggers, and anyone else you want to cover your story. It’s important to remember that these social media influencers are busy people, and you’re asking them to take time to use your product, and maybe even tweet or write about it –…
Six Steps to Strategically Building an Influencer Marketing Program
Welcome to the era of Influencer Marketing. The rise of social media has allowed more people to share more information to a wider audience. This paved the way for a new breed of celebrities: The digital influencers. Today, with virtually everyone using social media for a variety of purposes, any one of us might influence someone…
Meeting the Challenge of Content Snacking
In recent years, marketing and public relations agencies have overwhelmingly adopted content marketing, and suddenly we’re witnessing an escalation of content offerings. It becomes increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd and its message, as they are forced to think like a new media rather than a business, to become the ¨hub¨ of their…
What I Learned About Blogger Outreach from Surveying 4,000 Bloggers
I recently published the results of a survey in which I reached out to 4,000 bloggers and gathered their perspective on their role in influencer marketing. This information has been very valuable for all influencer marketing professionals because it’s not very often that you get outreach advice from the people you want to team up with…
12 Subject Lines for Better Blogger Outreach
One of the biggest pain points in blogger outreach is getting the attention of the bloggers you know are the perfect fit for your brand. If you follow this blog or the content I write on blogger outreach you should be all caught up on the best practices in pitching bloggers. But, one of the things…
Companies are Embracing Influencer Marketing [Report]
![Companies are Embracing Influencer Marketing [Report]](https://nealschaffer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Companies-are-Embracing-Influencer-Marketing-Report-1200x630-V1.jpg "Companies are Embracing Influencer Marketing [Report]")
State of Influencer Engagement – New Study by Augure For the second consecutive year, Augure has just published the results of its annual study on the state and the practices of influencers relations. Over 600 professionals in communications and marketing, in 32 countries and 30 industries, participated. This year, as an author and influence marketing…
Social Media Influence Marketing: Why Blogs Matter
In 2015, there’s no doubt that brands and agencies must integrate social media influence (SMI) marketing strategies in their development plans, and that blogs should be included in their priorities. With over 350 blog posts shared every minute through social networks, and nearly 200 million blogs in the world, the blogosphere is both an inexhaustible…
How Fashion Brands are Partnering with Bloggers for Big Results
From major retail stores like Bloomingdales to online fashion gurus like ModCloth, almost every fashion brand has at least dabbled in blogger outreach by now. One of the wonderful things about a good blogger outreach strategy is that this type of marketing can adapt to any budget. For fashions brands who are just starting out,…
The Social Graph for Managing Influencer Relationships
Over the past decade, the new science of influence marketing in social media has evolved a lot. The first lists of influencers were based solely on the social score of the users. Now marketing and public relations agencies focus their analysis on the content relevance and conversations generated in communities. In 2015, social media influence (SMI) took a…
The Pyramid of Relationships with Social Media Influencers
Last year at this time, I began to present some online elements of my new book: Generation C – Influencer Marketing at the Digital Age, which has just been published (in French*) at Editions Kawa in France. Starting with the centrepiece: The Pyramid of Influence in Social Media, corresponding to the five levels of Maslow’s…
The Fast Growing Influence of the Social Media Ambassador
In 2014, the concepts between ambassadors and influencers in social media have found themselves, now more than ever, central to the concerns of businesses and brands. With traditional marketing failing to reach customers and make an impact, marketing agencies, and public relations began to appeal to influencers and ambassadors, hoping to generate word-of-mouth and get…
Draw Me a POEM: Define Media Influence
To stand out in the age of social media, companies should focus their strategies on content and influence online marketing, and aim to position themselves among the influencers in their area. As traditional advertising has little impact and the recommendations of peer-to-peer prevail, companies must focus on the quality of their content to reach the new prosumers of Generation…
Three Major Challenges of Influence Marketing for Businesses
(Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored, and my participation to this study was not remunerated or compensated in any time. I’m just sharing it for your information.) A study by Augure PR Communications & Marketing (France) Earlier this year, I was approached by the PR communications and digital marketing firm Augure, in France, to…
The Rise of Office Ambassadors and Social Media Influencers
In 2014, around the world, experts and bloggers agree on the importance of marketing content and its influence in social media for organizations. As advertising and traditional media sometimes no longer meets consumers’ expectations, businesses and brands become their own media, and now plan their presence as web publishers on social networks. To stand out…
How To Recognize Ambassadors in Social Media
A matter of context, content and synchronicity Now, with the ubiquity of social platforms and mobile technologies, companies and organizations are investing more in social media influence marketing campaigns. The influence power of consumers forced them to adapt their approach, and focus more on the impact of the peer-to-peer recommendations, and the viral aspect of…
What Should Brands Offer Bloggers in Exchange for Posts?
At this point, you know not to expect something for nothing. But the area of what exactly you should offer bloggers for brand mentions can be a little murky. Some marketers just don’t have a big budget and if that’s the case, there are other things you can offer to make it a mutually beneficial…
Social Media Influencers or Ambassadors? How to Identify Them
The power of peer-to-peer recommendations Recently, a new report by Pew Research showed that, for the first time, social media has definitely downgraded other media. According to this study, the viral effect of ¨word-of- mouth¨ and peer- to-peer recommendations now has more impact on users and consumers than traditional advertising. Statistics that just confirmed a…
Influence Marketing : The Strategic Impact of TOP Charts
The History of TOP Charts If we can credit the music industry for giving birth to the first popular TOP charts, the phenomenon wasn’t unique to the industry for long. Film’s box office results and literature’s list of best-sellers quickly followed suit. These two cultural sectors ended up being among the most successful ones…
Generation C : Prosumers and Maturialism
In recent years, several aspects of society have been transformed by new Internet technologies. Today, mobile and almost unlimited access to information coupled with the tremendous potential of media streaming provides connected consumers with a new power to influence. These new user-consumers benefit from the value of their recommendations and the viral nature of word-of-mouth…
How To Define Influence In Social Media
From Machiavelli to Robert Cialdini, the notion of influence has continued to fascinate the general public and professionals alike. Even thought leaders have analyzed and scrutinized the concept hundreds of times over, its definition is always dependent on the context in which it’s being used. From Manipulation to Influence Very early on, in the 1920’s,…
Social Media Influencers vs Social Media Ambassadors: What is Their True Value?
At a time when the biggest social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest) are starting to make a move towards e-commerce, the subject of influence marketing is more than ever a major issue for most companies. Traditional advertising barely has an impact on purchasing and word of mouth and peer recommendations (P2P) have emerged…
E-REPUTATION: An Achilles Heel for Businesses?
CORNERSTONE OR STUMBLING BLOCK? In my first article for Windmill Networking, I wrote that new Web technologies made it possible for anyone to become an influencer within their network. I mentioned the case of Canadian guitarist David Carroll and his dispute with United Airlines and his “United Breaks Guitars” viral video that turned him into…
Social Media Influence: Understanding the New Generation “C”
Generation C and User Influence To understand what’s at stake when considering the influence of social media, companies and organizations must first try to understand user motivation. In the era of social networks and mobile communications, new Internet users are taking the reins of a new economic power; this power belongs to Generation C. This…
What’s The Meaning of a Klout Score? The Pros and Cons of How Social Influence is Measured
Almost six months ago I blogged that marketers would decide on the fate of Klout. However, with the continued buzz about Klout scores that I hear from new and potential social media consulting clients, as well as the continued presence of its main competitor PeerIndex and the emerging metric for influence Kred, the debate over…
Are You Ready to Fully Expose Your Brand to Social Media Users?
Consulting with clients on their social media strategy and implementation for more than two years has led me to one conclusion about how businesses should be using social media: The closer you can bring your brand to your customers, the better it will be for both of you. In exposing as much of your brand…
Social Media Influencer Outreach Brand Ambassador Case Study – All Nippon Airways #ANALAX
As consumer brands try to establish themselves as social brands, one of the missions they have in social media is to have their message go viral or spread by the so-called “influencers” that presumably exist in social media. This blog post is not intended to be about the debate as to how you determine who…
In Defense of Klout Measurement for Social Media Influence
My social media consulting clients always ask me as to who they should be trying to “influence” on social websites, and I always have to remind them that any social media user could potentially be an “influencer.” That being said, some people or businesses use social networking sites more than others, some have more reach…