Collaborations with influencers look simple and straightforward, but take it from us (as we’ve been managing influencer campaigns for a decade!), violations of FTC and other industry guidelines and contract breaches are persistently looming problems that require certain preemptive measures to avoid. This involves a fine balancing act. On the one hand, you want to give influencers the creative freedom to do what they do best: develop content that resonates with your product or

Ever wonder how leading brands make a splash when resources are strapped? It is all in the company they keep. This year alone, Corona (yes, the beer brand) joined forces with Echelon Fitness (yes, the Peloton competitor), Bimbo Bakery partnered with Disney, and Puma collaborated with Peanuts while Adidas aligned itself with Lego. There is reason for these strategic alliances, and it is not just financial savings. Partner-marketing, sometimes referred to as co-branding (when b

Safe to say, 2020 has not been business as usual. For brands within the wine and spirits category in particular, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a complete flip in sales with online purchases skyrocketing while in-store and commercial sales are demonstrably lower. The disruption in the purchasing behavior of consumers has forced alcohol brands to revisit their plans and channel energy into social media, opening online storefronts, hosting online tastings and offering door

Although it's safe to say 2021 can't come soon enough, and while the coronavirus pandemic brought tough repercussions for many marketers, there were some positive lessons as well. As early as May, Forrester researchers reported that 2020 would see a loss of 469,000 marketing jobs. Marketers who were lucky enough to hold onto their roles had to quickly adjust plans and tactics amidst budget cuts, shifts in media consumption, event cancellations and production shutdowns. There

Christophe Keyes is a man of many talents. In addition to owning his blog Dad on Duty , he is a devoted husband and father to two girls, working hard to take care of them and make their dreams come true.  He is also a musician and a luxury real estate agent. As a professional keyboardist, Christophe has been blessed to tour, play, study and learn from such acts as Jordin Sparks, Andrae Crouch, B.B. King, Shekinah Glory, Vicki Winans, Lukas Nelson, Brent Jones and the T.P. Mob

Allison Lewis has been a Life & Style Blogger at Absolutely Alli   for over 6 years, with a focus on beauty, skincare, and fashion. Her vast experience as a social media influencer and blogger inspired her to develop tools to help influencers and small business owners live out their social media dreams. Her ebook, The Business of Blogging and Social Media Influencing , is currently available for purchase.  Her business Absolutely Social , offers digital courses, live events,

Whether you’re a brand that has just begun thinking about utilizing the power of influencers or one that has dipped a toe into doing a few campaigns, there are many legal ins and outs that must be addressed to avoid disappointments and generate optimal results for all those involved. It’s best to go over campaign concerns in advance, before any misunderstandings arise, or you might find your brand doing damage control. We asked BabbleBoxx’s General Counsel Ken Schoen to expo

No one wants to waste advertising and marketing dollars, whether they’re controlling large budgets for a company or are restricted by a limited spend for a small business. But inadvertently brands may be squandering money reaching out to consumers who will never go to their shop, store or restaurant, or never try their product or service. Why? It’s simply not in the neighborhood or city where the customers live. Instead, brands can and should take advantage of geo-targetin

With the influencer marketing industry fast approaching the $15 billion mark by 2022 (according to Business Insider Intelligence estimates based on Mediakix data), it’s safe to say that a large range of brands across several industries recognize that working with influencers is a powerful marketing and sales tool that shows no signs of abating. But what about brands in highly regulated industries? Is it possible for the healthcare, alcohol, cannabis, insurance, finance and g

Brands Need To Shift Their Marketing Tactics In addition to the devastating health effects of Covid19 on the general population, another unfortunate fallout is that hundreds of thousands of college kids are sequestered in their parent’s homes, Zooming through their academic classes. And at this point, many are on the verge of not returning to classes on campus this Fall – or perhaps ever –as a wide swath of families continue to be devastated economically and colleges strug

How Covid-19 Created A New Breed of Social Media Star The influencer marketing industry is quickly approaching $7 billon this year, and there’s research that it’s on track to double – brands are predicted to spend close to $15 billion by 2022, according to Business Insider Intelligence estimates based on Mediakix data. ( https://www.businessinsider.com/influencer-marketing-report ) Categories of influencers have expanded as well. Specific types available to brands­ such as

Covid-19 is transforming the marketing landscape, and agile, successful brands are changing their tactics to meet the challenges. Brands with the correct tone can continue to connect with customers not only to uplift spirits, but to lessen the stresses of a now homebound consumer society while keeping the brand in the customer’s consciousness. Today’s current shelter-in-place situation means the traditional ways brands reached out are on lockdown. There are no in-person desk

During the initial discussions about a contemplated influencer campaign one of the questions that any brand representative wants to know the answer to is "can you guarantee a return on investment?" Return on investment (or ROI) is essentially a way for the brand to measure the performance of the campaign to determine whether this type of advertising is effective for them. Whether you're working independently or with an agency, influencers should know this term and be ready wi

For the past decade we have witnessed a metamorphosis in the workplace. The change has been led by millions of independent content creators who have turned their professional training, hobbies and passions into more than just careers. They have founded a new model for business – one in which you can work from anywhere, at any time and that requires no specific degree or formal training. These content creators are influencers, sharing their knowledge, expertise and experience

Think you can manage over 40,000 (yes, that says thousand) Influencers & their multiple campaigns all at once? It's not as easy as it seems, but some people do make it look easier than others. In this day in the life Q & A you'll be meeting Melysa Schmitt - the Babbleboxx Account Supervisor that makes influencer and campaign management look like a breeze. What’s the FIRST thing you do when you get to your desk in the morning? Sign on to Skype so I am ready and available for