The rise of the Influencer cannot be overstated, and Influencer Marketing can be your firm’s best secret weapon. Still, as with any industry, the world of influencers is not immune to fraudsters. Here’s five ways to tell if your future Influencer is really more of a follower.

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Social media giant Snapchat is now introducing a new series of lenses to their platform that can respond to voice commands. The audio lenses will animate automatically when users speak simple words like “yes”, “love”, “no”, and “hi”. This is an alteration on previous filters that respond to physical actions that users take on camera like opening their mouths or winking.

For instance, if a customer says “hi” using the new audio lenses, Snapchat will automatically launch an application that surround them with a flock of birds. On the other hand, if a user says “no” they are placed in an infinite tunnel of photos, while if they say “yes”, the Snapchat filter will zoom in on the user’s face.

For companies looking to build their brand, there’s no better tool than a solid PR strategy. The right plan can help to nurture new leads, facilitate rapid growth and improve an organization’s reputation both online and off. Of course, there are still many businesses out there that don’t know how to use PR as a brand-building tool.

As the world of marketing continues to evolve, the strategies available to modern firms are sure to grow and transform. However, for 2018, the following tactics could have the best results.

By: Elizabeth, Social Media Manager

I have a confession.  I saw Julia Engle of Gal Meets Glam in a J.Crew top and it took less than 10 minutes before I purchased it.  This poplin pullover quickly became a wardrobe staple while simultaneously solidifying my belief in the power of influencer marketing.

By: Kelsea, Social Media Director

Influencer marketing continues to grow, with brands investing more and more in influencer partnerships each day. Through these partnerships, brands and their agency partners can select brand-aligned influencers to market products and services to loyal followings with targeted demographics. They give word-of-mouth validation and often lead to engagement and follower spikes on brands’ social pages. Influencer marketing is a two-sided business, with many influencers becoming equally selective as brands when it comes to vetting if a partnership is right for them and, more importantly, their audience. These influencers take their personal brand seriously and like brands, are working to further grow and develop their digital community.

By: Pola, Director of Digital Marketing

Launching a new social media channel for your business or brand? The first step to a successful social media presence is recognizing the need for a social content strategy and plan.  Start with outlining your goals for the page – Customer Acquisition? Brand Awareness? Creating a Loyal Fanbase? Your objectives can be a mix of all of these and more. Continue by identifying industry leaders and pages that feel are doing a great job. What is it that you like about their content? Perhaps it is the level of engagement they receive per post, or the high-quality graphics used. Apply these insights to your strategy.

By: Kaia, Social Media Manager

“Authenticity” has become marketers’ favorite buzzword, and brands are now expected to always be honest and transparent in their efforts to connect with consumers. Telling consumers a brand story instead of just advertising to them is what wins trust and appreciation. In a time of social media-fueled cynicism, knowing what your brand stands for and communicating that effectively is a powerful tool.