Social influencers, and influencer marketing in general, are once again under the microscope as media publications share articles that are split into two trains of thought. The first is that social influence is the worst thing to happen to marketing, while the second states that influence marketing is a key business strategy in 2019. So which viewpointRead more
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In a recent Facebook discussion between marketers, the question was asked if social influencers are just the equivalent of traditional media buying. The point being made was, with all the paid influencer programs being used to shill product, has the role of the influencer been reduced to a simple ad platform? In this week’s episodeRead more
In episode six of the Marketing on Tap podcast, we ask the question – have social media influencers worn out their welcome? With recent examples of luxury resorts throwing up their arms in frustration at would-be social influencers asking for free stays worth thousands of dollars, to a “retired influencer”, Josh Ostrovsky, telling wannabe influencersRead more
At the beginning of this year, Judi Samuels, working for Our Kids Media, asked me to provide an overview of influence marketing for a group of business owners who were seeking to better leverage their online community to grow their business. What exactly is influence marketing? Why has it become such a hot topic forRead more
If you’re in a marketing or public relations function, unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few years, you’ve seen the explosion of social scoring and influence marketing discussions and debates online. If you’re a business that relies on consumers for revenue, Influence Marketing (the practice of identifying how consumers make purchase decisionsRead more
It’s clear that social influence scoring is not going away anytime soon – or ever – and so the debate over the validity of such scores and the businesses that provide them rage on. I know I’ve contributed my fair share of thoughts, dialogue, and rants on this subject and I have to say I’mRead more
Jane Perdue asked this question on her blog this week: “Are you trolling for numbers or meaning?” It’s a powerful question at a time where numbers seems to be judge, jury and executioner in our online marketing efforts. From simple numbers such the quantity of “Likes” and followers to numbers that purport to indicate one’sRead more
The hype around social influence has been circling around me like a cyclone for a few years now, online, in-print and in-person. I’ve been open and honest with my views on the challenges with the current methodology being used by marketers and software providers alike until someone asked me to “put your money where yourRead more
During her 2005 tour of Japan, world-wide music superstar Madonna publicly praised Japan’s “Washlet,” an “intelligent” toilet that provides – among other features – posterior-cleaning water jets, hot air dry function, ambient background music and odour-masking technology. “I’ve missed the heated toilet seats,” the pop-diva promoted upon leaving the country. She was not alone inRead more
There’s been so much talk about the accuracy, value or benefit of social influence scoring tools this past year; most of it about you. What does it do for you? How does it impact you? How do you game it? What’s your score? And that’s how social influence businesses like Klout like it. Keep theRead more