Is It Time to Influence the Influencers?
We all want quick-fix solutions, but the simple truth is that it is impossible to lose significant weight, get substantially healthier or get in shape with a one-time easy button. The math is this: Time + Effort = Results. No shortcuts.
The same is true for marketing, especially for search engine optimization (SEO), digital campaigns, fundraising, social media, developing email lists, brand building and developing influencer marketing groups.
It takes a lot of time and effort to “develop” influencers. You can buy some. You can fool some. But for real influence, you need to develop the influencers.
According to a study reported by Marketing Charts, even B2B brands are finding marketing gold in developing an influencer marketing effort — bloggers, social media stars (people with large audiences) and subject matter experts.
What makes the best influencers, according to the study, is their audience relevance, subject matter expertise, values that align with the brand’s and their ability to create relevant content. Influencers can serve as ambassadors, provide quotes, support brands in social media posts, participate in media interviews and endorse products and services.
As you can see from the chart, the benefits of influencer marketing is worth all the time and effort to make it succeed. Then come the results.
Mark Mathis
Mark wrote his first direct-mail fundraising letter in 1981 for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. The effort raised a few million dollars in undiscovered wills and legacy gifts. From that day forward Mark discovered a love of the big idea that moves the needle. After 12 years at KWWL, Mark became a business owner as a co-founder of ME&V — rebranded as AMPERAGE in 2015. After 25 years of leading creative teams in video production, graphic design, PR, writing and web development, Mark transitioned out of ownership in 2021. Today he serves in an employee role as special projects consultant. He is creatively ambidextrous — son of an artist and engineer — and famous for distilling complex ideas down to a few words and a few visuals. Mark is a writer. When he found that many nonprofits struggled with complex branding puzzles, he wrote the book, “NonProfit-NonMarketing .” He also wrote a novel called “Reenactment.” Mark is an active blogger OneMinuteMarketer® with nearly 1,000 readers each week on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter. One of his most popular YouTube videos is on “How to Look Good on Zoom.” One of Mark’s fondest business memories was being named to INC 500 two times and attending the INC 500 conference with other winners. Mark is considered by some a Civil War expert (and that explains his novel). Mark also served as an adjunct professor in the business and in the communications departments at Wartburg College. Mark is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is currently vice president of the University of Iowa Journalism and Mass Communications Advisory Board. Mark is married to state Sen. Liz Mathis, and the two love to travel, even when it means being trapped by a volcano in the Czech Republic for three weeks.
