When social media first came out, developing a following and getting likes and shares was the task at hand. It was largely reactive, rather than proactive and responded to the trends of the day, rather than setting trends. As professional marketers expanded the social media space, being proactive and building trends became the pathway for much of the traffic. As this has continued, organic social media has taken a back seat to paid social efforts. As with most endeavors, paid advertising is what grassroots efforts use to go from local hotspot to regional or national trends.

While it’s still unsure how Instagram’s latest like policy will change the face of influencer marketing, we think it’s safe the say that the marketing niche certainly won’t be going anywhere. So much so, that by 2020, influencer marketing is projected to be a $10 billion industry. That’s billion. With a “B.” With so much focus (and budget) on influencer marketing, you’d assume that most marketers can track what the ROI of their influencers are. But you know what they say about assumptions.

Let's be real for a second—2019 has been wild. Kanye started a church. Starbucks made it into Game of Thrones. The nerds nearly stormed Area 51. Fully grown adults bought and wore fanny packs. And Instagram announced it would be making "Likes" invisible on its platform.

There are a few places to go when you’re needing inspiration in the workplace. Some of us scroll through Instagram, some peruse Pinterest, and some head on over to their bookmarks to skim through their favorite blogs. But would you believe us if we told you that LinkedIn was actually one of the better places to gain inspiration from thought leaders in your industry?

Despite what you may think, LinkedIn is no longer just a place for corporate players to share thinly veiled sales pitches, show off their use of the word “leverage,” or repost the occasional, “You can do it, dreamer,” poster. If you’re following the right people, LinkedIn becomes a place where you keep a finger on the pulse of your industry, find your fire, and get inspired. That’s why today we’re talking about our The Top Ten LinkedIn Influencers Worth Following Right Now.

Knowing Your Audience

While we’ve already given you the playbook for targeting your local market, today we’re mapping out how to target your market around the globe with meaningful, engaging content. The fact is, not all social media platforms are created equally when it comes to your targeting initiatives. None of them are bad, but some are most certainly better than others for a broader reach. Just like your platforms will change as you try to reach those who don’t live down the lane, so will your technique and strategy.

Your message to Sally Sue, an active member of your local community, may not resonate with someone who lives a thousand miles away. They could value very different things depending on location, culture, demographics, and so on. That means that the benefits you present to them will look different. Simply put, the world isn’t a flat piece of toast you spread a pat of butter across. Let’s look at how to churn out the actual results you want by broadcasting the right messages on the right platforms.

In the past year, there have been so many changes in social media, it's beginning to feel like a reawakening. After the birth of social, human beings rode the newness of the media like a wave. We stretched that sucker out as far as it would go, riding it all the way into the shoreline. But then we were left standing on the sand, staring at the horizon. Was anything new coming our way? What was once an exciting new medium quickly began to feel stale. We needed a change. 

Over the past few years, there is a new infatuation that has been sweeping over our nation. For better or worse, it's been washing over our televisions, newspapers, social media feeds, and now, our marketing campaigns. From the white house to the Kardashians and their diet shakes, we've become obsessed with controversy. And as a business, it's something to be aware of. If a marketer's job is to keep her finger on the pulse of the nation, and that pulse is racing, what does that mean for her work? Does she stoke the flames of this new infatuation? What does she risk if she does? Better yet, what does she risk if she doesn't? Today we're taking a look at some real-life examples of controversial marketing campaigns and the repercussions for the companies who created them. 

In the past decade or so, we've seen the emergence of one of the most powerful marketing tools since the invention of automation: The Influencer. When tapped correctly, the influencer can be a major asset for promoting your brand awareness and overall product. On the contrary, influencer marketing done poorly can come back to bite you in the business butt in a major way. Today we're taking a look at what an influencer is, as well as some inspiration on how to use them, and some serious warnings on how not to use them from real life booms and busts.