Appinions: The science of influence marketing

Any discussion of connecting with online influencers is sure to mention Facebook and Twitter prominently. You might also hear talk of Google+. But what about the many other social media networks? They provide important connection and relationship-building opportunities as well. Here are some ideas for connecting with influencers on some of the lesser-known or less-used, [...]

Making your way onto online influencer radars and developing lasting relationships with them are important goals. Their interest in and efforts for your brand can go a long way toward building awareness of your brand, enhancing your reputation, and helping you sell your products and services. However, the clout these influencers have built up means [...]

Every once in a while I stumble on a post or remark online about mom bloggers like this one: “Mom blog after mom blog, I found myself with a growing hatred for moms everywhere. There’s something about new-wave mothers with Internet access and a quirky headshot that makes me want to deliver multiple swift punches to [...]

We’ve had such an exciting year, thanks to all of you who have tried our platform, read our blog, downloaded our eBooks and attended our webinars. We know you’re busy and have lots of different marketing topics to focus on and learn, and we are truly grateful to each one of you for your attention [...]

The lifestyle/parenting blogosphere isn’t just about moms anymore. “Dad bloggers” (or, better yet, parenting bloggers who are also dads) are more prevalent than ever. They’re quickly growing their audiences and showing that they have just as much to say about (and to do with) parenting as the moms do. Rise of the Dad Gone are [...]

The fact that you’re reading this proves that you already know the importance of guest posting and after implementing the following three steps, you’ll be well on your way to thought-leadership status. Step 1: Decide on Target Blogs With the millions of blogs out there, how will you choose the right ones for you to [...]

The theory on thought leadership through guest posting goes back to our days on the playground. If the cool crowd said they thought you were cool, then you were cool by association. Because of the in-crowd’s large network, you meet more people, make more friends, and influence the network of people following you around the [...]

In An Introduction to Effective Influencer Marketing, we discussed the importance of pitching value, not just product, when approaching influencers.

Fact: Mommy blogger outreach as we know it could benefit from a bit of a cleanup on aisle 3. After years of poorly researched and untargeted pitches, mass email blunders, FTC disclosure mishaps and the like – we’re facing a bit of an uphill climb to establish consistent and effective standards for mommy blogger outreach [...]

Let’s face it – As brands, marketers, advertisers and PR pros engaged in blogger outreach, we’ve all struggled with the promoted vs. paid content equation for a number of reasons: Lack of budget to pay bloggers. Trying to figure out exactly where bloggers fit along the earned, owned and paid media spectrum. Still haven’t figured [...]