Customer Success

Influencer Marketing Defined

January 7, 2011

Editor’s note: This post is a part of a series that was created to help you define and build the practice of influencer marketing into your company. This series will walk you through the process, necessary roles, and best practices to get started with influencer marketing quickly and effectively.
You can also download a the complete series in the form of our free eBook, The Value of Influence: The Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing.

Influencer marketing is an updated approach to marketing and public relations where you target the people your prospects turn to for information.

These influencers help generate awareness and sway the purchase decisions of those who seek out and value their expertise, read their blogs, converse with them in discussion forums, attend their presentations at industry events, etc.

Marketing to influencers essentially means building relationships and pitching your stories to the influencers in a proactive, outbound fashion. Many influencers are eager for ideas and content to speak or write about. If they’re interested in your message they’ll begin talking about your company, its leaders, and/or products and services. Influencer marketing builds credibility for you in the eyes of your prospects because influencers are often trusted resources.

Next week, I’ll explain why it is so important for expansion-stage companies to begin an influencer marketing practice by providing five key benefits of influencer marketing.

Content Marketing Director

<strong>Amanda Maksymiw</strong> worked at OpenView from 2008 until 2012, where she focused on developing marketing and PR strategies for both OpenView and its portfolio companies. Today she is the Content Marketing Director at <a href="https://www.fuze.com/">Fuze</a>.