
“Influence” is a term that is often overused. Across the communications industry, marketers regularly confuse paid blogger engagement, social media marketing, celebrity endorsements, content creation and more under the umbrella of “influencer marketing,” “influencer relations” or “influencer engagement.” While these are all tactics that might aid in the creation of influence, they don't deliver on an implicit promise of influencer relations as a channel to deliver content or carry a narrative to generate advocacy. In fact, the notion of advocacy as the intended product of influence is often lost today as marketers suggest programming where “influence” is positioned as the end point. In truth, influence is not the end goal, it is a means to cultivate brand affinity and, ultimately, advocacy.
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