To hear these three creators tell it, aspiring influencers should keep several important principles in mind when making content:

- A consistent posting schedule is foundational to building a strong social media following.

- Going viral is often a product of creating intentional, high-quality content, not gimmicky social media strategies.

- Agency partnerships can help creators know their worth and keep them from undervaluing their content.

- Authentic content often gets better engagement than sponsored content and even ads should embody a creator’s genuine persona.

- The best brand relationships develop organically from a creator’s authentic interest in a product.

These foundational ideas have shaped Nya, Joy and Calvin’s approach to content creation and have generated numerous fruitful brand partnerships.

- Nya Bryanna Henry | https://twitter.com/nyabryanna

- Joy Baker | https://joynavon.wordpress.com/

- Calvin Kang | https://cooklikeimbook.com/about/

- GRIN | https://twitter.com/GrowWithGrin

- Katya Allison | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

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#Content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #Influencermarketing #Creatormanagement

Rand offers several insights into best practices for better, targeted marketing:

- Focus on targeting your audience, not just your potential buyers.

- People who don’t buy your product can still amplify your brand voice to reach new buyers.

- Influence isn’t always about reaching a bigger audience but about reaching the right audience.

- Don’t try to market to everyone. No product is perfect for everyone. An audience that’s too broad can dilute your marketing impact.

- To help find an audience, think of your product in terms of what problem it solves.

- Never underestimate the value of data in shaping a targeted marketing campaign.

As Rand tells it, differentiating between an audience and buyers is foundational to gaining traction with brand marketing.

- Rand Fishkin | https://twitter.com/randfish

- SparkToro | https://sparktoro.com/

- SparkToro | https://twitter.com/sparktoro

- Katya Allison | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

- GRIN | https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #Influencermarketing #Creatormanagement

When it comes to sending emails, Kim has some words of wisdom to offer:

- Be intentional with how you craft non-marketing emails.

- Simpler is often better — emails should be easy to read and understand.

- Most emails should be no longer than five or six sentences.

- Find a balance between a professional tone and your unique personal voice.

- Write like you speak.

- Use a ‘read aloud’ function to hear your emails read back to you to help refine your writing.

- Remember that all emails, to customers and colleagues, represent your brand.

Kim’s approach to email can help marketers be engaging and memorable while still maintaining a sense of authority and professionalism.

- Kim Arnold | https://twitter.com/KimArnold5

- Kim Arnold | https://www.kimarnold.co.uk/

- Email Attraction | https://www.kimarnold.co.uk/email-attraction/

- Katya Allison | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

- GRIN | https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #influencermarketing #creatormanagement

Looking back at 2022, and ahead to 2023, the GRIN team has several insights into the future of influencer marketing:

- The uncertainty of TikTok’s future has put a spotlight on how some brands have invested too heavily in a single platform without diversifying their online presence.

- Economic shifts will likely lead to a rise in affiliate marketing campaigns as brands reevaluate their marketing budget.

- Historic metrics aren’t as authoritative as they used to be and sentiment analysis is becoming a more useful data set.

- Product seeding will find greater future success through authentic reviews, not just exposure from large-scale influencers.

These words of marketing wisdom prepare brands and influencers to launch into 2023 with a strategy for success.

- GRIN

- Katya Allison

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#Content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #Influencermarketing #Creatormanagement

With privacy being such an important topic in today’s digital environment, marketers should take note of several important points:

• Marketing is about building a relationship, and proper data etiquette can build strong relationships with brands and customers.
• Customer data is like a conversation and data harvesters should never ask for too much information at the beginning of that conversation.
• Privacy regulations differ from country to country and, in the case of the US, from state to state.
• Regulation is constantly changing, so marketers should pay careful attention to the relevant legislation surrounding data acquisition and use.

Good marketing depends on good data but harvesting and using that data is a delicate dance of building customer trust. Gather information without souring customer relationships.

• Jamie Beckland | Twitter - https://twitter.com/beckland?lang=en
• Contxt | Website - https://www.bycontxt.com/
• Contxt - Twitter - https://twitter.com/bycontxt
• Katya Allison | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/
• GRIN | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #influencermarketing #creatormanagement

The concept of valuegraphics offers marketers some new perspectives on market segmentation:

• Individual values inform purchasing decisions more than traditional demographics like age or gender.
• Values may seem abstract but can be quantified and analyzed just like any other data point.
• Understanding personal values can build customer personas that are less clichéd; therefore, more effective.
• Because values inform action, building valuegraphic profiles can help marketers better predict potential customer behavior.
• Despite their value, valuegraphics should be viewed as a starting point for market research and planning, not a silver bullet solution.

For David, understanding who a person is starts with understanding their values, and that knowledge helps drive marketing strategy.

• David Allison | Twitter - https://twitter.com/DavidAllisonInc
• Valuegraphics | Website - https://valuegraphics.com/
• Valuegraphics | Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuegraphics_?lang=en
• We Are All the Same Age Now | https://valuegraphics.com/books
• Katya Allison | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/
• GRIN | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #influencermarketing #creatormanagement

Sometimes, marketers can get bogged down by data and it causes brands to lose the human spark that made them compelling. Mark offers a few words of wisdom to combat this:

- Clarify common department language and create definitions that everyone can clearly understand.

- Learn to view ideas as combinations of thoughts that are specific and novel.

- Rework the way creative briefs are formulated. Simple, creative and interesting briefs produce better content than long, data-centric briefs.

- Use data but don’t let your team be chained down by it. Once data starts squelching creativity then it’s no longer helpful.

Mark’s approach to marketing hopes to reinvigorate the creativity and empathy that he believes many businesses are lacking.

• Mark Pollard | Twitter - https://twitter.com/markpollard
• Sweathead | Website - https://sweathead.com/
• Sweathead | Twitter- https://twitter.com/Sweathead
• Strategy is Your Words | https://sweathead.com/products/strategy-is-your-words/
• Katya Allison | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/
• GRIN | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#content #PR #Affiliate #marketing #influencermarketing #creatormanagement

For Jon, leveraging video effectively means keeping a few things in mind:

- Tailor different types of video to target different parts of the marketing funnel.

- Use video to create an emotional response that can then drive customer action.

- Use other marketing channels to provide product information and features. Video is meant to provoke emotional decision-making.

- Embedded YouTube links drive traffic away from your site, so host native videos using another platform.

- Fill marketing videos with genuinely useful and compelling information to keep the audience engaged.

- Research and planning have to precede video production to effectively target a specific market segment.

As Jon sees it, video is one of the most valuable assets marketers have. Using it well can be transformational for a brand’s approach to storytelling.

Use the code VIDEOMK20 for 20% off Jon’s book, “Video Marketing.”

• Jon Mowat | Twitter - https://twitter.com/jon_hurricane?lang=en
• Hurricane | https://www.hurricanemedia.co.uk/
• Hurricane | Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/hurricanemedia
• Katya Allison | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/
• GRIN | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#content #PR #Affiliatemarketing #influencermarketing #creatormanagement

Margherita is an exceptional B2B marketer, working to provide businesses with the technology needed to meet their industry regulations. For marketers in similar positions, she offers some words of advice:

- Finding a voice and marketing niche is just as important for B2B marketing as it is for B2C marketing.

- B2B marketing revolves more around logical reasoning than emotional decision-making.

- There’s still room for differentiation in B2B marketing, even if there’s a limited number of sales arguments to be made.

- Data has to be the primary driver in deciding when to let go of a particular marketing campaign.

- Patience is essential. Don’t let a campaign go too early just because it doesn’t see immediate success.

Margherita’s advice can help B2B marketers refine marketing efforts to find greater success.

Margherita Maspero | Twitter - https://twitter.com/maggiemaspero

Know Your Customer - https://knowyourcustomer.com/

Know Your Customer | Twitter - https://twitter.com/KYC_ltd

Katya Allison | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

Mark and Ted literally wrote the book on company culture and, in their conversation, they share a few key insights into building a brand’s cultural identity:

- Culture has to have concrete mechanics attached to it; it can’t be abstract.

- Brand alignment can be more important than a traditional “healthy” culture.

- Don’t sacrifice good culture for the sake of keeping one high-performing employee.

- A successful cultural framework can turn your employees into brand ambassadors.

- Employees should have the same experience with a brand’s identity and culture as customers.

Company culture is intrinsically connected to brand identity and should be a part of all marketing conversations within an organization.

- Mark Miller - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/markdotdo/?hl=en

- Ted Vaughn - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tedvaughn/?hl=en

- Historic Agency - https://historicagency.com/

- Historic Agency - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/historicagency/

- Culture Built My Brand - https://www.culturebuiltmybrand.com/

- Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

- GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

To Rob, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when approaching podcast audiences:

- Podcasts are more like magazines than radio shows; they have very niche audiences.

- Keyword SEO is limited to podcast titles and has no effect when used in show descriptions.

- Advertisers should consider the differences between show sponsorship and one-off advertisements.

- Marketing efforts often have a better ROI when directed towards smaller shows with committed niche audiences than shows with mass appeal.

- Video often doesn’t indicate a growing podcast audience.

- Marketers should take the time to actually listen to the shows they intend to partner with.

- Podcasts and brands should have a compatible ethos when undertaking a campaign together.

Rob’s advice is crucial for marketers seeking to capitalize on a unique advertising medium.

- Libsyn - https://libsyn.com/

- Libsyn - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/libsyn/?hl=en

- Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

- GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

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In managing influencer relationships, Audrey offers several words of wisdom:

- A small community of dedicated micro-influencers is better than a macro-influencer who has a weak brand relationship.

- Strong influencer relationships will create a better long-term ROI than paid partnerships.

- Organic posts often create more loyal and committed customers than paid campaigns.

- Paid content should be the final nail that closes the deal on customers who were attracted through organic content.

- No one influencer can be all things to all people. They will each have strengths and weaknesses.

- Even the most talented social media manager needs a team behind them to perform effectively.

As Audrey explains in this interview, healthy relationships are the bedrock of any successful influencer marketing campaign.

Audrey Van Vark - https://twitter.com/audrey_vv

Mari + Gold - https://mariandgold.com/

Mari + Gold - https://www.instagram.com/mariandgoldagency/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

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To leverage SEO to its maximum potential, Mark offers a few pieces of advice:

- Three SEO principles must be utilized together for best results: keyword clustering, bulk content creation and interlinking.

- Keyword clustering involves utilizing an appropriate number of key terms related to your niche in high density.

- Bulk content creation means using important keywords on a high volume of blogs, landing pages and product descriptions.

- Interlinking is the organization of keywords and links within a website to create a matrix of connectivity that keeps users on that website.

- These three principles must be leveraged consistently over a long period of time to generate meaningful results.

With these concepts as a foundation, SEO can build a brand’s online presence when carried out in a concerted, intentional manner.

Contentellect - https://www.contentellect.com/

Contentellect - Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/contentellect/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

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In their conversation, Jess offers a few words of wisdom for smaller brands seeking to effectively leverage influencer marketing:

- Good relationships will lead to more authentic influencer marketing campaigns.

- Paid partnerships with influencers who haven’t previously tried the product are often ineffective.

- Flat rate partnerships may not work in the budget of a smaller brand.

- Brand awareness and content engagement can be more meaningful initial metrics than revenue or sales.

- Micro-influencers with a stronger online community can drive a better engagement ratio than macro influencers.

Jess’ advice for brands with limited resources can help propel an organization’s marketing efforts into competition with some of the best marketers around.

Osmo Salt Co. - Website - https://www.osmosalt.com/

Osmo Salt Co. - Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/osmosalt

Osmo Salt Co. - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/osmosalt/?hl=en

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

Try Osmo Salt using this special code only available to listeners: GRINGETSREAL

#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

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In light of the new rules surrounding student-athlete income, brands need to keep several important factors in mind:

- The cost of entry is often very low for the majority of student athletes.

- Gen Z students can be a valuable resource in helping a brand appeal to a younger market.

- Student athletes can often be more committed to a brand’s message than the average influencer.

- The post-NIL world is still evolving and there are still disagreements about standard best practices.

- Time management is much more challenging and much more important when working with students.

Student athletes are a newly available market for brands to market through, but doing so requires a different approach than with many influencers.

Jason Bergman - Twitter - https://twitter.com/bergmantweets?lang=en

Jason Bergman - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_j_berg_/?hl=en

MarketPryce - Website - https://www.marketpryce.com/

MarketPryce - Twitter - https://twitter.com/marketpryce

MarketPryce - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketpryce/?hl=en

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

In working with brand ambassadors, Jordan recommends keeping a few important concepts in mind:

- Ambassadors and influencers are not synonymous, and they should be treated differently.

- Paying ambassadors often doesn’t encourage real commitment to the brand.

- Ambassadors should be self-selected from the very bottom of the marketing funnel.

- Before building an ambassador program, create a VIP customer group where ambassadors can be cultivated.

- Leverage direct communication with your ambassadors through a platform like Slack.

- Ambassadors are just one marketing channel and should be used in conjunction with other traditional marketing methods.

A strong ambassador program is an underutilized marketing tool that can build customer loyalty and cultivate an organic community.

Jordan West - https://twitter.com/jordantwestecom

Keep Nature Wild -https://www.linkedin.com/company/keepnaturewild/

Keep Nature Wild - https://keepnaturewild.com/

Mindful Marketing Co. - https://upgrowthcommerce.com/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

Dylan has helped many organizations grow their revenue based on a few important marketing principles:

- The most successful marketing strategy makes use of both SMS and email marketing.

- Well-executed creative elements on an email or text can drive revenue without altering the rest of the campaign.

- Historical data analysis is an essential marketing tool.

- Trial various marketing approaches early in the year to establish a well-tested campaign for the winter holiday season.

- Timing and cadence are foundational to using SMS and email effectively.

- In most cases, the simplest design and messaging are the most effective.

Dylan’s work at Wavebreak is a masterclass in how to effectively leverage every marketing tool available.

Dylan Kelley - Twitter - https://twitter.com/dylanmkelley?lang=en

Wavebreak - https://wavebreak.co/

Wavebreak Webinar - https://wavebreak.co/bfcm-2022-webinar-replay/

GRIN - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

Mitchell had to dramatically limit his approach to content management when he started playing lacrosse at OSU. Rules about how student athletes were able to earn an income handicapped the kind of content he was allowed to create.

Now, in a post-NIL world and with his options once again open, Mitchell approaches his content creation according to several important principles:

- As a student, time management is an essential discipline.

- Know your worth and don’t settle for less than your own value.

- Be committed to your values and don’t compromise them for a bigger paycheck.

Content creation is an immense amount of work, and Mitchell’s story is an excellent lesson in the value of a work-life balance.

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.youtube.com/c/MitchellPehlke

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.tiktok.com/@mitchellpehlke

Mitchell Pehlke - https://www.instagram.com/mitchell_pehlke/?hl=en

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

Steffen has spent the bulk of his career focused on B2B marketing, where the time between contact and sale, and the number of touchpoints along the way, can be extensive. This gives him a unique perspective on the customer journey, since he’s often intimately involved in guiding that journey in a very hands-on way.

For Steffen, there are several important points of consideration he stresses in his marketing efforts:

- Information gathering is foundational to building a successful strategy.

- Qualitative metrics can be just as informative as hard data.

- Attribution models must change to accommodate short or lengthy customer journeys.

- Ensure all customer interactions leave a digital footprint.

- Marketing and sales teams must learn to work together towards a common goal.

- Debrief and reevaluate campaign successes and failures frequently.

By analyzing the various pathways customers take to the final sale, marketers can build tailor-made campaigns that ensure consistent, measurable ROI.

Steffen Hedebrandt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenhedebrandt/?originalSubdomain=dk

Dreamdata - https://dreamdata.io/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=company_page

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce #creatormanagement

The Torrens sisters know that knowledge is king when building a successful marketing strategy. In the early days of any campaign, they’re avid information gatherers, and FIVE Years Apart uses that information to foster mutually beneficial relationships between brands and influencers.

Carolina and Belen build successful brand relationships through a holistic marketing philosophy that includes:

- A concerted effort to provide exceptional customer service.

- Amplifying brands’ and creators’ existing voices rather than changing them.

- Building personal relationships with clients before beginning the actual marketing work. 

- Targeting the whole marketing funnel to maximize ROI.

- Appreciating the intangible word-of-mouth value of gifting campaigns.

- Creating brand authenticity that feels trustworthy to potential customers.

Their metric-driven strategy, taken together with an emphasis on authenticity and collaboration, delivers a meaningful ROI while also cultivating healthy brand partnerships.

Carolina Torrens - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinatorrens1/

Belen Torrens - https://www.linkedin.com/in/belen-torrens-097566156/

FIVE Years Apart - https://www.5yearsapart.com/

FIVE Years Apart - https://www.linkedin.com/company/five-years-apart/

Katya Allison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyaallison/

GRIN - https://grin.co/

GRIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/grin-inc-/

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#Content #influencermarketing #ecommerce

The Information in April 2021 to launch the creator economy newsletter and write features about the fast-growing sector. Previously, she covered technology and social media platforms at CNN. She started her journalism career writing breaking news at TheStreet. She is fluent in Polish and based in New York.

Episode quote:

“Now, we really think of like independent musicians, as creators, we think of podcasters we think of newsletter writers, independent journalists who are going off on their own and, and writing a newsletter or giving people updates on Instagram.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Some of the topics we discussed:

> The impact of not addressing DE&I.

>> The challenges from a creator's perspective.

>>> What a creator and brand can do to improve equality.

This episode is the after-show of our fireside chat, where we dig into all the questions we didn't get to during the live portion.

You can watch the complete chat here.

And listen to more GRIN Gets Real guests here.

During the live portion, we discussed how they leverage their creator community for content to repurpose across multiple marketing channels, building brand awareness and acquiring new customers.

We also touched on:

• Workflow best practices.

• How to test with purpose.

• Finding creators at any stage of an influencer program.

While we had a live Q&A, there were too many questions to go over, so we're bringing those unanswered questions to the GRIN Gets Real podcast.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for those unanswered questions with Emma Ecklin from Natural Dog Company.

In each episode, we dive into who the brand is, its customer, the creator program, and the impact the creator economy has on its brand.

This customer spotlight features Inkbox.

Inkbox has been producing semi-permanent tattoos and accessories since 2015 and is constantly working on new ways to empower the ever-changing story of you. With over 10,000 artist-created designs, our Freehand Tattoo Marker, and Custom Platform, millions of people from 190 countries have gotten inked with our new-fashioned accessories that last 1-2 weeks.

.Will has worked with eCommerce businesses for many years in leading the strategic planning, implementation, and tactical execution of marketing strategies for products across all Amazon business segments. With responsibilities for channel growth strategies and achieving revenue and margin goals, his portfolio includes companies like Instant Pot, Pyrex, Derma E, Think, and Outward Hound.

Episode Quote:

"You know, a lot of it comes down to how much brand equity you have. How big is your audience? And what's your price point? Shoppers are going to be looking at those aspects as they're considering your different products and categories.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast, where you listen to podcasts.

She was the GM & Head of Growth at Wish, where, as the company’s first growth hire, she built the team from scratch and helped Wish expand to be the #1 shopping app in 40+ countries with 100M+ monthly active users. She’s served on Y Combinator’s Growth Counsel and as an advisor to Quince, Spring, Lyft, and Pinterest.

Episode Quote:

"When they have the influencer go live with them as a co-host on the site. All the influencer's followers actually go to the site instead of staying on the influencer's Instagram account or YouTube."

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

We also covered:

• Why content is key to their strategy

• The qualities to look for in creators

• How they optimize their workflow

• Negotiation tips to build long-term relationships

While we had a live Q&A, there were too many questions to go over, so we're bringing those unanswered questions to the GRIN Gets Real podcast.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for those unanswered questions with Sam Atherley from Curtsy.

In each episode, we dive into who the brand is, its customer, the creator program, and the impact the creator economy has on its brand.

This customer spotlight features Loop Earplugs.

Loop Earplugs has redefined what an earplug should sound, look and feel like. Whether it’s hearing protection or comfort for your ears, Loop enables you to live life at your volume.

clean.io offers a unique solution built to give ecommerce merchants total control of their website user experience AND their revenue. cleanCART prevents coupon extensions like Honey and CapitalOne Shopping from auto-injecting discount codes at checkout and puts a stop to untrustworthy affiliate fees and attribution reporting. If you run influencer or affiliate promotional codes, cleanCART is the best way to ensure you are protected.

During our most recent Brands Talking Influencers fireside chat, How to implement the ultimate Influencer Marketing strategy, Matthew Wyman shared influencer marketing insights from Whisker, the world leader in connected pet care and refined pet accessories.

By taking a full-funnel marketing approach with their influencer marketing program, they've seen an increase in brand awareness and a YoY positive return on investment from creators.

During the live portion, we talked about

• There most recent product launch of LR4

• The creator mix for their influencer marketing success

• How they leverage UGC

• And so much more.

While we had a live Q&A, there were too many questions to go over, so we're bringing those unanswered questions to the GRIN Gets Real podcast.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for those unanswered questions with Matthew Wyman from Whisker.

She possesses deep expertise in Customer Experience design for fast-growing pre-IPO SaaS companies rooted in loyalty-driven retention and expansion. Before joining Conversica, Ella ran Global Customer Support and Global Customer Success at Outreach.io, supporting their growth through $150M in revenue.

Episode quote:

“People are starting to think about an integrated revenue journey, not siloed. The old marketing was top of funnel get new, get hot leads.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A lifelong learner with a positive attitude and a growth mindset Victoria manages the Collegiate Athlete Ambassador Program while also coordinating Pro athletes and influencers for JOLYN.

Episode quote:

“Truly, athletes, I believe, are very influential because they have talent. They have dedication. They’re hard-working. They kind of offer that, ‘This is what I strive for. This is what I want to be.’ And some of them have the most incredible stories.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Tyler Berglund, CMO

Ashley Solomon, Head of Brand

This is the Brands Talking Influencers Q&A. We’re taking our fireside chat to the GRIN Gets Real podcast. Now you can listen & learn beyond the webinar experience.

Tres Colori is a DTC jewelry brand based in New York that creates personalized nameplates and jewelry. They use data from creator content to be strategic with their paid ads and their entire marketing strategy. Focused on looking at what they do across all social platforms together, not as silos to execute a paid strategy that continues to increase their revenue and brand awareness.

During the fireside chat, they shared insights on getting content rights, leveraging UGC, and the importance of working together as a marketing team to execute an omnichannel strategy.

We also explored:

>Finding the right influencer through creator content.

>>How to measure the success of brand awareness.

>>>Why testing creators and content is essential.

>>>>How to make UGC part of your entire marketing strategy.

During the fireside chat, we get so many great questions but there is never enough time. So we take those unanswered questions to the GRIN Gets Real Podcast.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for those unanswered questions with Tyler Berglund and Ashley Solomon from Tres Colori.

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Orzy Media is a boutique e-commerce email marketing automation agency. He's written two bestselling books on email marketing. He also has a popular print newsletter called Make It Rain Monthly which is read by over 300 subscribers in over 30 countries around the world. To work with Chris and his team, go to theemailcopywriter.com.

Get your free copy of Make It Rain: The Secret to Generating Massive Paydays From Your Email List

Episode quote:

“Subject lines are super important. Even in a post iOS 15 world, they are still important because even if you cannot accurately track open rates. It's not a huge deal. But remember, there are still people reading your emails, whether you can see them opening or not, so the subject lines are super important. My one rule for subject lines is to be radically different at all costs.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

She has spent most of her professional career working with global companies and their clients on marketing, business development and strategic initiatives. She has a reputation for “making things happen” by offering creative solutions to complex situations.

Episode quote:

"From my perspective, the qualitative aspect is talking about really understanding who your consumer is, who is your audience? What's that person's environment? Whatever the case may look like, and really understanding how what you are producing, whether it's a service or a product, is received by the consumer."

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Bonnie is a marketing and communications veteran with comprehensive experience in food & beverage, hospitality and retail sectors. She started her career running marketing and PR for high profile nightclubs on the Las Vegas Strip, then moved to the agency side working with clients like Buca Di Beppo, Las Vegas Hilton, Thunder from Down Under and Topshop. Currently she is currently the Vice President of Strategy and Communications. In March of 2021, Bonnie spearheaded the creation of the communications division which is now the agency of record for brands such as Hemper, Payless, Ohza, Skinny Mixes, Vitacost, Aesthetics Biomedical and countless others.

Episode quote:

““I think the influencers and creators will continue to evolve and really dictate what people are doing, choosing, using. We’ve seen the rise of TikTok and we’ve seen it happen with Twitch. It’s about solidifying platforms and growing audiences on them.””

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Los Angeles Apparel is on a mission to bring back apparel made in the U.S.A. by highly trained employees earning fair wages and supporting domestic farmers. They leverage creators as part of their marketing strategy to help share their brand story and drive awareness. They’ve had continued success with micro and macro-influencers with a product seeding program strategy meant to drive brand awareness while also enjoying sales along the way.

In our live conversation, we explored:

> How to handle a creator that asks for payment in a product seeding program.

> The ideal workflow to save you time working with creators.

> Finding the right creator for your influencer program.

> Identifying success using creators as a strategy.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for those unanswered questions with Elton and Aneesha from Los Angeles Apparel.

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

She is a keynote speaker, author, award-winning branded content creator, and lifelong storyteller. Author of the best-selling marketing and business communications book, “The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas”, and the founder of StoryFuel. Melanie spends her days giving keynotes and leading workshops that teach marketers, creators, and companies of all sizes how to create better content.

Prior to founding StoryFuel, Melanie was the first editor of branded content at The New York Times, a founding member of HuffPost’s brand storytelling team, and served as Director of Creative Strategy for Time Inc

Episode quote:

“When I'm trying to come up with content ideas, I'm actually coming up with two things, both my focus and my format. And that makes that whole process a lot easier.” - Melanie Deziel, author of The Content Fuel Framework

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A consultant based in New York City (and sometimes beyond) under her company entity, Best Day Ever. Christie's goal in the brand space, whether working as a creative strategist, podcast producer, or managing content for her roster's deals, is to build out-of-the-box strategies that uphold ethics & integrity to leave the world a better place than she found it. She is a graduate of Florida State University, a global agencies alumni, lover of sunshine, and a multi-hyphenate pursuing creative endeavors that make people feel good.

Episode quote:

“Then we get emails in for campaign interest to influencers, I sometimes will see a brand or an agency that breaks down the full scope of work, including the usage, including the exclusivity, including everything that I really need to know to quote, a proper rate for that. If a brand is trying to keep an influencer exclusive for up to six months, we would need to account for the potential lost income that they would not have access to should one of those other brands reach out and want to work with them during that period, which is totally fine, especially if they're passionate about this brand. They're excited to work with them. But they have to protect their interests. And I am there to protect their interests as far as their potential income because it's a for all of my creators, currently, it's their full time job.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

If you missed our fireside chat, review the podcast episode page for the rewatch link so that you can catch up. If you were there, you listened to the CEO's perspective on creators and influencer marketing in general. Tara Williams, the CEO, and founder of Dreamland Baby, along with her influencer marketing team of one, have created a program that has helped them achieve month-over-month revenue growth. She shared how she proves ROI without codes and links, and also dives into her struggles first getting started and how they were overcome after building the right foundation in the workflow.

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for a little influencer marketing Q&A with Tara from Dreamland Baby

AppBind lets digital agencies manage subscriptions to software and ads for the clients without getting stuck in the middle of the billing. Shah formerly ran partnerships at FreshBooks, marketing at Olark live chat, and founded the Cloud Software Association, the 4,000+ SaaS partnership network.

Episode quote:

“There's a lot of things in the ecosystem around a customer, where they have to go to other companies or people. And those companies and people are the ones you have to work through in order to get your story told to the customer. And that's where you need the relationship. When you need to get someone else to tell your story to the customer and be unique, and they [partners] get to decide whether they do that or not”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A conversion rate optimization (CRO) specialist and founder of Experiment Zone, which helps online businesses grow their revenue by improving the user experience of their website using scientific methods.

She’s led optimization strategy for Fortune 500 companies during her tenure at Clearhead. She was also the lead UX researcher on the Google Optimize product.

Episode quote:

““It's not just about, did it win or not, but what can we take away from what we saw in the data? What might that mean for the way we brand ourselves or position what we do, what might that mean for our sales conversations?”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

If you missed our fireside chat, review the podcast episode page for the rewatch link so that you can catch up. If you were there, you listened to how Taylor took their influencer program, which was more focused on affiliate first, and turned it around to month-over-month success by reframing the focus to content. She shared the drastic change in the type of content they received after this reframing of their program. The richer content was more authentic, lifestyle-focused, and ultimately told the Gainful brand story better. They focus on building relationships to create a strong brand community, that ultimately is key to the success of their program. With a dedicated headcount to managing the program, they've been able to grow their program to the success that it is now. Watch, rewatch, learn from the lessons they went through. What you're about to listen to is the Q&A that we didn't get to. This fireside chat had a record number of questions and we tried to squeeze it all in there. They answered questions like...."how long did it take you guys to grow your affiliate team" to "What does your vetting process look like."

Put your air pods in, turn up the volume and get ready for a little influencer marketing Q&A with Bridget and Taylor from Gainful.

Enjoy a special offer of $15 off your order here >>> gainful.com/GRIN!

He is the co-founder and CEO of inBeat Agency, a micro-influencer agency that helps brands scale their marketing efforts. They have helped leading DTC brands such as Nordstrom, Wildfang, and Soylent to harness the power of micro-influencers.

Episode quote:

“Let's say, you approach it with a $50,000 budget, you go towards micro-influencers. You can give a lot of shots, right, you can try with a lot of micro-influencers under that budget, but with macro-influencers that can run you three collaborations. If one or two micro-influencers strikes out, then you didn't get any repercussion with your budget.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Prior to her work in the talent management space, Johanna worked on the Presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry for more than 7 years. Johanna is a world traveler, lived in Spain three times, can often be found cycling Colorado's mountain ranges, or asking the question "What if you...?" Follow her on Instagram @johannavoss.

She is a strategic marketing shop focused on data backed decision making, innovation, iteration and execution.

With over a decade of experience at global PR agencies, Katie counsels clients on how to effectively reach goals by working with brand-right influencers to tell compelling and engaging stories.

Episode quote:

“I think PR is interesting. PR is kind of the umbrella that social media sits under I mean, that's how I’ve traditionally thought of it. I think now that social media is just so pervasive in the world. It's kind of weird to think of it as like a little, you know, raindrop underneath another umbrella. But really like PR encompasses anything that's storytelling about your brand. It's your website, it's your branding, it's your thought leadership.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

We also explored:

• The biggest challenges they are facing right now.

• The best approach to reaching out to creators.

• Understanding the value of a relationship approach to their business.

• What goes into setting their rates.

• And so much more!

In this Q&A episode, you will find the answers to the unanswered questions from our fireside chat.

View the episode page here.

Watch the complete fireside chat here.

And subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast

Follow the creators and meet Johanna Voss: https://www.johannavoss.com/talent

A renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, two-time bestselling author, and Forbes contributor.

Episode quote:

“How do we humanize everything that we touch? Because the customer on the other end wants things simplified and to feel like everything is in their language – not in the (brand’s) language.” ”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

The digital landscape changes on a daily basis which can be a challenge for any marketing strategy. From algorithm changes on social to Google updates for search, making sure that the campaigns you run are effectively bringing in the ROI. During this fireside chat with our experts, we talked about controlling what you can control, and implementing a plan that works regardless of those changes - influencer marketing!

Whether you're looking for brand awareness, revenue, or content, working with creators can help ensure that regardless of what happens in the digital world you have a strategy that works every time!

What we explored during our fireside chat:

• Why Creators are vital to a successful marketing strategy.

• Implementing an omnichannel strategy with Creators.

• How Creators can share your brand story.

• Hacks for growing your customer email list.

In this Q&A episode, you will find the answers to the unanswered questions from our fireside chat.

View the episode page here.

Watch the complete fireside chat here.

And subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast

SheSpeaks is a certified women-owned and operated company known best for creating exciting, original, and collaborative branded content. It reaches more than 300 million consumers a month using influencer marketing campaigns powered by active, engaged members and rich consumer insights.

Episode quote:

“At the end of the day it goes back to that old adage – the customer is always right. Even if the customer is wrong, the customer is right, and that has existed for many years. But because of social media, the customer has a way bigger voice and a much bigger megaphone than they did before.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Hani Anis founded a luxury South Asian bridal boutique in 2017 called Anis Collections. She went on to work in investment banking and at a venture capitalist firm, but continued helping brands with their digital strategies during the pandemic. It was through her work for Natalie Barby’s agency Rella Social that Hanis realized her love for working with small businesses, particularly those owned and operated by people of South Asian descent.

In 2021, Hani turned her passion into Kahani Digital – a digital marketing and social media company that helps tell the stories of South Asian-owned and founded brands. Kahani Digital now has a team of six employees and has worked with 20-plus clients in various industries.

Episode quote:

“When you're a brand owner, typically you have a specific story that ties to some element of either your culture, your background, someway you grew up, or just something you saw. (Telling a brand’s story comes) from just sitting down with founders and talking to them to learn about their story.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

How to activate influencers as content creators for your brand

Vera Bradley is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage, fashion, and unique gifts. They are known for their innovative designs, iconic patterns, and brilliant colors and seek to inspire women across the globe. We sat with Sabrina Medert, Senior Social Media Specialist for Vera Bradley to learn more about how they leveraged their army of 300+ influencers as their army of creators during the start of the pandemic and quadrupled their KPIs. As their program continues to grow and provide ROI across the brand's entire marketing strategy, we will dive deeper into how to get the right content without paying the high price.

During our fireside chat we explored:

• Proving ROI with creator content.

• The key to running a high-performing influencer program.

• How to communicate with creators so you get the exact content you’re looking for.

• Leveraging templates and sequences to automate communication while still keeping it personal.

• Why relationships with your creators are so vital to your success.

In this Q&A episode, you will find the answers to the unanswered questions from our fireside chat.

View the episode page here.

Watch the complete fireside chat here.

And subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast

Robert has served as the Chief Strategy Advisor of The Content Marketing Institute since its launch in 2010 helping guide it to be the leading global content marketing education and training organization. Robert is the author of three best-selling books on marketing and content strategy, and the co-host of the popular marketing podcast This Old Marketing, which has been downloaded more than two million times in 150 countries.

Episode quote:

“Content marketing was really important before the pandemic, and I don’t think it’s become more important. What we do observe is that it has become a higher priority for most businesses.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

The GRIN Gets Real team has put together the best of the best for you to enjoy as you walk the dog, when you’re running on the treadmill, cleaning the house, enjoying a cup of coffee, or however you listen.

Who you will hear in this episode….

• Neal Schaffer

• Kate Bradley Chernis

• Shirin Oreizy

• Rayhan Perera

• Matt Barnett

• Derric Haynie

• Claire Leon

• Jessy Grossman

• Carrie Melissa Jones

• Josh Roush

• Justin Moore

• Anthony Blatner

• Allison Brown

• Joe Pulizzi

• Kathleen Booth

• David Wachs

• Alexander Low

• Re Perez

• Carla Johnson

• Kurt Philip

How to growth hack influencer marketing for maximum ROI

In our latest Brands Talking Influencers fireside chat series, I sat

Sarah, Head of Influencer marketing from MuteSix. Influencer Marketing Award bronze winners for Most Effective Campaign for ROI MuteSix we unpacked what it takes to create a campaign and program that delivers a return every time, regardless of industry.

We also explored:

• What makes an influencer campaign successful

• How to create a single process that works for any brand

• How to find the right influencer for your brand using that process

• Setting up the ideal workflow for your influencer marketing program

During this special crossover podcast the conversation continued. We took all the unanswered questions from the live webinar to get you the answers you were looking for.

Watch the complete fireside chat here.

Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Kurt started Convertica in 2016 after noticing a huge demand in the market after doing CRO on his own portfolio of websites. After four years, Convertica has worked with more than 650 businesses in countless verticals and monetization methods, and run more than 7,000 split tests.

Episode quote:

“If you have a new product, go out and give the product away in exchange for a review. It’s a little bit of a gray area, because I know on Amazon they don’t like people to do that … But you need that to be able to actually get the people to test it.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Carla is a world-renowned storyteller, an entertaining speaker, and a prolific author. Having lived, worked, and keynoted on five continents, she’s partnered with top brands and conferences to train thousands of people how to rethink the work that they do and the impact they can have. Her visionary expertise has inspired and equipped leaders at all levels to embrace change, welcome new ideas, and transform their business.

Her work with Fortune 500 brands served as the foundation for many of her books. Her tenth, RE:Think Innovation, busts the myth that innovation is something that requires a specific degree or special training. In fact, Carla explains why, to be a successful company in today’s hyper competitive, customer-driven world, finding opportunities through innovative thinking must be everyone’s business. Her goal is to teach one million people how to become innovative thinkers by 2025.

Episode quote:

“Innovation is the ability to consistently come up with new great and reliable ideas, simple sentence, but some really important words in there. ”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A former Fortune 500 Brand Consultant turned Entrepreneur, Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker, and the CEO and founder of Branding For The People, an award-winning branding agency that creates world-class brands that accelerate business growth. With a proven track record advising purpose-driven entrepreneurs and conscious small-to-midsize businesses across 100+ different industries and professions, his clients credit him for positively transforming the trajectory of their business. In addition, as a member of B1G1, a portion of his agency’s proceeds are given to high-impact projects in connection with his agency’s commitment to be a business for good.

Connect with Re on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/re-perez-branding/

Episode quote:

“ Brands create an emotional connection with their target audiences. And if they're communicating to, and we happen to not be the target audience, it should create an emotional connection of like, I don't connect with this brand, or I do. ”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Building & scaling an influencer marketing machine

Nutrabolt, is the leading independent sports nutrition company in the world. With a mission to innovate, inspire, and make products that maximize human potential they leverage the power of influencer marketing to spread their message and share their brand story. During our chat on the Brands Talking Influencers fireside chat, we will dove into the value of setting up the right workflow and exploring how every prospective influencer has potential.

In our live conversation we explored:

• 7-step process to their influencer outreach funnel.

• A tiered approach to creating a high-performing program.

• Maximizing all your influencer-generated content.

• How they set-up the foundation for a turnkey program.

During this special crossover podcast the conversation continued. We took all the unanswered questions from the live webinar to get you the answers you were looking for.

Watch the complete fireside chat here.

Episode page here.

His 20-year career has consistently focused on delighting customers. He has held leadership positions at three Fortune 300 companies – McDonald’s, Discover and Humana – in customer experience, marketing, social media and customer service. He is now an international keynote speaker and experience consultant.

Dan is the author of the book, Winning at Social Customer Care: How Top Brands Create Engaging Experiences on Social Media, a host of the Experience This! Show podcast and a regular contributor to Forbes. He has been named one of the “Top 100 Digital Marketers of 2019” by both Brand24 and BuzzSumo and one of the “Top Customer Service Influencers” by Fit Small Business.

Dan earned a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management.

Episode quote:

“The customer experience encompasses every single interaction that a customer has with your company… I believe that everyone has a role in the customer experience, even if you’re not directly customer-facing. Everyone’s in the business of customer service.” – Dan Gingiss

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

With over 15 years Business Development experience, working within professional services, formerly of PwC, Berwin Leighton Paisner & JLL. He has spent the last 4 years consulting back into the industry, helping BD & Marketing teams, Lawyers, Attorneys, Consultants, understand how to build social media and the behaviour changes required, into their go-to-market strategy. He leads the Enterprise business at Lately, an A.I.-driven content creation, scheduling and amplification technology company.

Episode quote:

“I always encourage people to go into LinkedIn type in your ideal customer segment of cmo, CFO CTO, what have you then do second in the industry you want that's your network of potential influence. And by that I mean how many introductions you can get straight out the gate because an introduction or referral is the best way to start sales come sales conversation.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A serial entrepreneur, David's latest venture, Handwrytten, is bringing back the lost art of letter writing through scalable, robot-based solutions that write your notes in pen. Developed as a platform, Handwrytten lets you send notes from your CRM system, such as Salesforce, the web site, apps, or through custom integration. Used by major meal boxes, eCommerce giants, nonprofits and professionals, Handwrytten is changing the way brands and people connect.

Episode quote:

“Showing somebody I've sat down and thought about them for five minutes by writing a note, well, that's currency. That's valuable, that's got intrinsic value. And people really pick up on that.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

How to make sure that your promotional codes are working with you, not against you.

Kahtleen leads the go to market strategy for the company's new ecommerce coupon extension blocker, cleanCART. Prior to joining clean.io, Kathleen spent 11 years as the CEO of Quintain Marketing, a digital marketing agency and leading HubSpot partner. Since exiting Quintain, she has focused on helping VC-backed tech startups build high growth marketing engines.

Episode quote:

“We're all selling trust, regardless of other marketing services, or sneakers, or tractors or, you know, artificial intelligence, it's all trust. Traditionally, when we wanted to build trust with our audience, we did that through the experience we delivered in our office. In our store, when we met with people there was more human interaction. And that's really been replaced by digital interactions or engagements, as we call them now.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Marisa Pardo, VP of Brand Partnerships & Engagement

From Able

How fashion brand Able scaled their influencer program to see 7-figure returns on their influencer marketing program

Able, an ethical lifestyle brand that aims to transform the fashion industry, evolved their program from spreadsheets to platform while still maintaining their long-term relationship approach. As part of the brand partnerships team at Able, Marisa Pardo and Hannah Jovaag will share how they approached scaling their influencer marketing program to a healthy 7x ROI.

In our live conversation we aim to explore:

• The role of the right process for running a successful influencer campaign.

• How they maintain the long-term relationship approach while scaling.

• Organizing, tracking, and reporting on influencer success.

• Successful campaign management workflows.

For more brand stories visit live events. Interested in a demo? Book your customized demo here.

Joe Pulizzi is the Amazon bestselling author of Content Inc., Killing Marketing and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. His novel, The Will to Die, was awarded "Best Suspense Book" of 2020 by the National Indie Excellence Awards. Joe's latest version of Content Inc. will be released May, 2021.

He has founded four companies including digital content news site The Tilt as well as Content Marketing Institute. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. His podcast series, This Old Marketing with Robert Rose, has millions of downloads from over 150 countries. His Foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to children in over 35 states.

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Allison Brown has been a leader in influencer Marketing since 2016 when she spearheaded the program at Kodiak Cakes, a health foods company. At Kodiak Cakes, she uniquely created a program that used experiential events across the country to build relationships and brand awareness. Allison then moved to Factor_, where she created another high-achieving influencer marketing program. Allison combined influencer marketing and social media efforts as a director of both departments at her last role, seeing the benefits of having both run in tandem to achieve the same goals.

Having been in the influencer marketing space for so long, Allison provides a unique outlook on the platforms to use, the people to hire, and the framework needed to create a best-in-class program. She is also a recipient of Utah Business’ 20 in Their 20’s award for her achievements in social media and influencer marketing.

“I think that an opt in network is just not an option anymore. People still think that that's a thing, and you know the more I hear about brands using opt-in networks, I'm like no, no, no. Do not do that. For example, if you're trying to hire for any role within a company, are you going to reach out to the people who are a good fit or are you just going to look for the people who actually applied even though they're not that great?”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

In our upcoming fireside chat you will get a 360 view－brand, influencer, and technology－of running an influencer whitelisting activation. During the live panel with Cuts Clothing, Lumanu, and influencer, David Abittan we will explore what whitelisting is, best practices for all influencer outreach, repurposing UGC, and how you can maximize your ROI by adding whitelisting.

In our live conversation we aim to explore:

• The influencer’s perspective on brand outreach.

• Benefits to incorporating whitelisting to your program.

• When to start an influencer whitelisting campaign.

• How influencer whitelisting can improve your paid social ROI.

• Identifying the right influencer for whitelisting.

• How to select the right content and influencer to get started with.

For more brand stories visit live events. Interested in a demo? Book your customized demo here.

Anthony Blatner is the founder of Speedwork Social, a top LinkedIn Advertising agency.

As a previous tech founder and ex-IBMer, Anthony has seen a lot of companies have explosive growth with good technology and good marketing, while others (even though they had a great product or service) fail without effective marketing.

In 2016, Anthony started Speedwork to help those companies unlock their B2B marketing potential. By blending his experience in marketing and software, Anthony is able to help businesses reach high-level decision makers at scale using LinkedIn Ads and technology.

It's safe to say that Anthony is one of the top LinkedIn ads experts in the industry, having managed millions in ad spend and generating over 100,000 new sales opportunities.

Follow Anthony on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyblatner/

Find out more about Speedwork Social

https://speedworksocial.com/

Episode quote:

“The reason you rely on the algorithm is because they don't know a ton about you as far as like what you put it type into the platform, it's more of like how you engage with the platform where you go afterward what you're buying, whereas on LinkedIn we don't need to rely on the algorithm as much because we can say I want HR directors at 10 companies of this size because we know that they’re most likely to be purchasing from us.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Justin Moore is the Founder of Creator Wizard, an online resource where he teaches the business of being an influencer. Along with his wife April, he has been a full-time creator for over 7 years (on social media for 10+) and has personally made over $3,000,000 working with brands. He has also run an influencer marketing agency for over 5 years that has helped other creators earn an additional $2,000,000. He has worked on more than 500 brand deals, interpreted 1,000+ sponsorship contracts, and has partnered with pretty much every consumer brand imaginable. He has a unique perspective because not only has he been a creator in the trenches doing brand deals for years but by running an agency, he has been in the room with countless brands helping them decide how to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on influencer campaigns.

Episode quote:

“Because they are partnering with a creator, a brand doesn’t have to go out there and hire a production company or hire an agency or hire actors to star in content. There is a lot of value that the Creator brings so evaluating them for only their organic reach or following, I think that sometimes brands are missing a larger picture.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

How Schell Games Scaled Their Gaming Influencer Program On Twitch

Schell Games is one of the largest independent game design and development studios in the United States. During our chat with Dwayne, he will share his insights on what it takes to run a gaming influencer program along with the value of finding influencers that both have the right audience and are high-quality content creators.

As a result of getting the right tool in place, he’s been able to scale and develop a strategic influencer program that is successful.

In our live conversation we aim to explore:

• Using behavior indicators to find the right influencers for their brand.

• What an influencer program primarily on Twitch and YouTube looks like.

• Identifying quality influencers over quantity to create a successful program.

• How to run a successful influencer program without an eCommerce storefront.

For more brand stories visit live events. Interested in a demo? Book your customized demo here.

Josh Roush is the CEO & lead brand strategist at Movetic, an Award-Winning Branding Agency located in Leucadia, CA.

Since the age of 19, Josh worked with brands such as H-P, Lyft, Crocs, Reef, Verizon, the Dew Tour, Hilton, Celsius, YMCA, Sun Bum, FSC Paper, San Diego Aviators, and Harcourts.

Fueled by the stay-moving lifestyle, he leverages the power of creativity & analytics to create experiences that are real, relevant, and above all else, memorable using photography, design, and technology.

Episode quote:

“Whenever you take a step back and really try to find who you are as a brand, it’s going to make a lot more of a meaningful impact when it comes to sales and revenue.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Lauren has built the Collective program from the ground up and is so excited to see it continue to flourish and expand! I can't wait to see the evolution of influencer marketing and so excited for all that is to come in this space!

Episode quote:

“We don't use the word influencer, we actually don't use the word ambassador, we use the word member and partner more than anything because we are so heavily, you know, invested in long term partnerships. “

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Carrie Melissa Jones is an author, community builder, and researcher of online communities. Her work has influenced the world’s leading online brand communities including the American Medical Association, Patreon, Google, and two U.S. presidential campaigns. She is the author of Building Brand Communities: How Organizations Succeed by Creating Belonging with Charles Vogl and a student, teacher, and researcher of virtual communities at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to her work as a consultant, she served as Founding Partner and COO of CMX, the hub for over 20,000 community professionals worldwide.

Episode quote:

“No matter the purpose of the community, the structures are all the same. From a political campaign to a tech brand, the bones are the same in a community.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Jessy Grossman is a long time entrepreneur and her experience in the world of talent management, entertainment, and digital media has helped create new opportunities for hundreds of influencers and brands. Jessy has been quoted in Forbes and, in 2020, was listed in Talking Influence's “Influencer Top 50.” After creating and selling one of the fastest growing new talent agencies in the country, she’s pivoted her focus to her passion project, Women in Influencer Marketing (WIIM). Jessy hosts WIIM’s podcast while cultivating WIIM’s exclusive Facebook community, casting services, recruitment, events and more. Jessy has a passion for influencer marketing in general, but talent managers are her “babies” and she is heavily invested in nurturing them towards success.

Episode quote

“It's way more about the person that represents you, versus the brand or the agency that represents you.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.:

SlumberPod is a mother-daughter duo that created a portable canopy that provides a separate, safe, and dark sleep space for room sharing with a baby or toddler. The duo recognized early on the power of word-of-mouth and have leveraged influencers as a strategy from the start of their business. Now with the right tool in place they’ve been able to scale their program to over 300 influencers and maximize the use of reporting to achieve over 10k conversions with promo codes.

In our live conversation we aim to explore:

• How to best use influencer promo codes to get more conversions.

• Managing inbound influencer requests to scale your program.

• What not to focus on when looking for influencers to achieve a positive ROI.

• And how not running a BFCM sale had them still seeing profits this past holiday season.

For more brand stories visit live events. Interested in a demo? Book your customized demo here.

Claire Leon is Co-Founder at Acorn-i, where she is responsible for overseeing internal teams, working closely with partners, and driving the company’s expansion in the market. She previously spent seven years at Amazon, where she had a key role in bringing its advertising platform to market in the UK and building partnerships with agencies at a global level.

Episode quote:

“What omnichannel is and has to be for the brand, is you've got to make it easy for your customer to find and fall in love with your product.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Derric Haynie is the host of “The Future of Ecommerce” podcast and Chief Ecommerce Technologist at Ecommercetech.io – Where Ecommerce stores go to research, discover, and buy the right tools to grow their store.

Episode quote:

“But the truth is, technology has so many emerging opportunities, that if we're not staying on the forefront of it we risk leaving a lot of revenue on the table, at the very least, if not getting beaten by our competition.” - Derric Haynie, Ecommerce Tech

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Mike Watts is a dynamic speaker and experienced entrepreneur. Besides striking a deal with Shark Tank's Daymond John, he has 6 startup companies under his belt including founding three consecutive, multi-million dollar companies in the last 10 years totaling over $60 million in product sales.

A little about LoveHandle

Co-founded in 2014 by father/son team LoveHandle, based in Houston, Texas, is committed to sharing LOVE with its customers, communities and team members with high-quality innovative products made 100% in the USA.

Episode quote:

“For us, Grin was the clear winner, because of the type of business that we have, the structure, the integrations… and again, a lot of it came down to the authenticity.”

- Mike Watts, LoveHandle

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. And subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

A British designer by trade, Matt Barnett founded his second company, Bonjoro, out of Sydney, Australia. What started as a sales hack for an agency he was running, went from hack to side hustle to global business in 18 months, and now has a team across 5 continents.

Episode quote:

“We found that at certain points on the customer journey, taking 30 seconds to send a video to an individual, so to Suzy from Oklahoma, thanking them for their purchase, asking them to leave a review, suggesting they move on to a subscription… can have a huge impact in terms of engagement, and then driving better actions.” - Matt Barnett, Bonjoro

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Rayhan is CEO and Founder of OneDash, a platform that offers the tools to make any kind of media interactive, helping brands make an instant return on their content investments. A serial entrepreneur, Rayhan has expertise in venture capital, eCommerce strategies, and digital marketing.

Episode quote:

"Bring the entire strategy together, using much more informed decisions before you actually go-to-market and being able to come to a client and say, Look, I'm going to do this for you. And this is how my past results look like in real-time. And this is exactly what the exposure was and translated into sales in real-time. That's much more powerful, and that's much more conducive to getting like this really long term partnership going.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to Brands Working Remote Talking Influencers Q&A. We’re taking our fireside chat to the GRIN Gets Real podcast. Now you can listen & learn beyond the webinar experience.

During our Brands Working Remote Talking Influencers fireside chat series I sat with Brad Handel, the Organic Marketing Manager from Every Man Jack to talk about influencer marketing.

Reach and sales were their primary goals when starting an influencer program, and it has now become a piece of the puzzle in their overall marketing strategy. Leveraging the content from influencers to help them build out their website and truly go from retail to etail.

While the Every Man Jack brand is highly recognizable, influencer marketing helps them continue creating brand awareness, driving sales, and curating authentic content that connects with their audience.

Brad dives into how they leverage content and what the value of that content is for their brand. And their approach to influencer marketing as a relationship with the influencer versus a transactional approach focused on paying for posts has been key to their success. Those individuals in their program are true brand advocates because they genuinely love the product and use it.

He answered some questions during the live Q&A, but we ran out of time before getting to all of them. So I sat with Brad again and got through those heavy-hitting questions and am now bringing them to you.

Want to hear more? Be sure to subscribe to the GRIN gets real podcast to get the latest episodes. Click to give us a rating and leave a review!

If you’re interested in watching the Every Man Jack fireside chat or other brands that we have featured in the past like Lume Cube, Organifi, Trifecta, Tubby Todd, and more, visit the live events section at grin.co.

Shirin Oreizy is the Founder and President of Next Step, an award-winning Behavioral Marketing Agency with offices in San Francisco & Boston.

Episode quote:

“Ultimately, we're trying to uncover why people are making certain decisions about your brand...

...That finding can live in a variety of places in your organization, it could be within different aspects of your marketing, it could go into sales, it can go into the customer experience, etc.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast where you listen to podcasts.

Kate Bradley Chernis is the Founder & CEO of Lately, which uses AI to automatically transform long-form content like blogs, podcasts, and videos into dozens of "smart" social posts it learns will yield the highest engagement from your audience.

Episode Quote:

“The first thing is, think about what your objective is. So for any email, text, social media post, what is the point of it? It’s not just to tell people what you’re having for lunch. With a social post, there’s only two, (possible objectives) it’s click or reshare. That’s it. When you’re smaller, it’s much harder to capitalize on a click. But a reshare is a lot easier.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more. Or subscribe to the GRIN Gets Real podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Neal Schaffer is an authority on helping innovative businesses digitally transform their sales and marketing. Founder of the digital marketing consultancy PDCA Social, Neal also teaches at Rutgers Business School and the Irish Management Institute.

Episode quote:

“The [influencer] that you’re dealing with who’s taking the one-time transaction, even though they may never use your product… it’s going to show to be a little bit less authentic…. and the people following can read through that as well.”

Visit the complete episode page to learn more.

Working and growing alongside inspiring Lumanu executives, Mac took on roles at Lumanu ranging from Client Success intern to Sales Engineer to his current position as Marketing & Growth Manager.

Lumanu delivers simple, secure, and seamless technology solutions that foster powerful partnerships between creators and brands.

Episode quote:

“So you can create a creator ad from the creator’s handle without having the creator actually post for you organically or create a sponsored post. Once you get their permissions through the whitelisting process that we talked about, you’re able to create these influencer ads from those handles using any content that you want, whether the influencer sends you images to post...you can do all of that right in your ad account.” Mac Enright from Lumanu

Visit the episode page to learn more.

She manages a 10-person team and plays a fundamental role in leading the influencer and TikTok strategies for some of today’s most profitable DTC companies like Highline Wellness, Theragun, Snibbs, and Bev.

Sarah’s success and value as a leader can be attributed to her spontaneous approach to life and an unparalleled drive to rise above and move forward. She has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and is continuously learning new techniques and tools - staying a step ahead of the industry and putting herself at the forefront of trends that catapult businesses to the next level.

Episode quote:

“So it’s more of a conversation with influencers and you’re also building a relationship at that point. So it’s not really a transaction. ‘We’re sending you this, so you do this.’ We’re having a conversation, making sure it’s a good fit.” - Sarah from MuteSix

Visit the episode page to learn more.

“The last three months have really pushed eCommerce adoption 10 years into the future. We’re actually at 2030 levels from where we believed eCommerce was going to grow because of the pandemic.” - Steve Hutt from Shopify

Visit the episode page to learn more.

Join GRIN as we explore the rise of video content, which platforms are using it and how you can leverage it in your influencer marketing.

Want to learn more about GRIN? Check us out! www.grin.co

Join us as we explore the nuances of social media, how to use it the right way to connect with your audience and the strategies that brands have found the most successful.

Want to learn more about GRIN? Check us out! www.grin.co

Want to learn more about GRIN? Come check it out! www.grin.co

In GRIN's first podcast episode our marketing team chats about highlights from the fireside chat with Lume Cube, our take on the brand's strategy, and all things influencer marketing. Join the conversation! Subscribe to the GRIN Podcast channel and stay up-to-date on discussions with brands working with influencers, our 0 to 100: Getting Started With Influencer Marketing series, and our conversations on the intricacies and successful strategies of influencer marketing!