Influencer Marketing is the most important new approach to marketing in a decade for those professionals at the leading edge of purchasing decision making. It shows that key decision makers in all major markets operate within communities of influencers- because major decisions are too complex and risky to taken in isolation.
The ‘ecosystems’ this creates are full of these critically important people, whose impact on purchasing decisions is both pivotal and misunderstood. This new book demonstrates that-
• As mass media impact wanes so the role of influencers grows - marketers need to know why and how to use this knowledge
• The impact of blogs, wikis and other social media is that they enable new influencers to emerge, and disperse traditional sources of influence.
• Large and small businesses worldwide pour billions of pounds each year into influencing what they think are their influencers. This book shows you that most of that money is being spent on the wrong people, leaving the real influencers all too often untouched.
• Influencers do not do the buying, are not obvious, cannot be bought, and start off neutral - which is why their potential to affect sales is so great
• Influencers are not all equal - they can be assessed, ranked and prioritised to be used effectively
• Influencers can be influenced – the question is how to get to them to generate market awareness, leads and address sales barriers
Influencer marketing is closely related to the relentless rise and success of word of mouth (WOM) and relationship marketing, and is now established as one of the armoury of new techniques professionals must use. For all those involved in marketing and sales this book will be an essential analysis of how to identify who has influence, how they apply it, and how you can turn it to your advantage.
From ‘The Dip’ by Seth Godin
Preface
Nick Hayes
Introduction xi
Duncan Brown and Nick Hayes
1 Marketing is broken
2 What’s wrong with traditional marketing today?
4 Decision-maker ecosystems
5 How influence works
6 Who are your influencers?
7 Identifying and ranking influencers
8 Who should evaluate the influencers in your market?
9 Marketing to influencers
10 Good, bad and ugly influencers
11 Marketing through influencers
12 Marketing with influencers
13 Evaluating influencer marketing
14 Influencer marketing and word of mouth
15 Social media – the new influence enablers
16 Influencing through social media
17 Influencing consumers
18 Influencers in consumer markets
19 How to structure influencer marketing in your organisation
20 Making influencer marketing work for your company
21 The future of influencer marketing
Index
Biography
Duncan Brown, Nick Hayes
Brown and Hayes have written a wonderful, well structured and easy to read page turner about a fascinating idea that should affect the way every thinking marketer should see the world. Christoph Kaderli, Vice President EMEA Marketing, Performance Management & Alliances at Cognos Ltd & CMO Council Europe Advisory Board Member.
"Today's market is truly 'always on'. This is having a dramatic impact on the way that we market and sell to our existing customers and prospects.
Influencer Marketing provides an excellent reference on how you can drive and achieve significant change in your traditional mindset to ensure that you can address the new and dynamic challenges that now appear every day'.
Ask yourself, 'Do I change or do more of the same? There is only one correct answer" . Jim Cassidy VP Marketing EMEA, BEA Systems
A thought provoking book that challenges the way we think and who we target. A must for any skilled marketer wishing to beat his competitor." Dr Anthony Marsella, Chief Marketing Officer Samsung Electronics and co-author "Marketing Revolution".
"Cutting Edge Marketing at its best. This is a must read for any Technology Marketer" James Hart, Marketing Director, EMEA, Research In Motion
(Blackberry)
"If you think you know about marketing in the 21st century, press & analyst relations, the value of conferences, the buying cycle - think again.
Influencer Marketing will make you question even your basic understanding of marketing, and who really wields power in the market place." Joe Barrett, Director, Strategic Marketing, Qualcomm Europe
"This book explains why today's marketing model is a very different playing field. ROI is high on the agenda. The power of the network enables emphasis on 1:1 conversations and choice, dialogues and communities, which in turn leads to honesty and transparency in messaging." Jon Tutcher Head of Marketing, Sun Microsystems UK & Ireland
"Influencer Marketing brings together common sense with some insightful ideas in a book that provides marketers with useful tips for extending their own influence." Ruth Mortimer, Editor, Brand Strategy Magazine
“It is rare to find a marketing book which is useful from page one. Most provide useful maxims to include in presentations, but few back this up with practical approaches to use in anger in the workplace. Influencer Marketing has been invaluable in focusing my organisation on the invisible influencer". Robert Posner, European Marketing Director, Harte-Hanks
