How to Stay Current with Trends in PR and Influencer Marketing

Time for Transparency

Being forthright with your influencers is just as important as being forthright with your customers, right?
Absolutely. A candid discussion about your brand’s goals and sincerely caring about how your influencers prefer to engage is a sure way to curate long-term success.
Deirdre Breakenridge, a communications expert, is all about making and keeping connections. She feels that remembering the key elements of relationship building such as listening, research, and transparency, are the only ways to engage with influencers both impactfully and authentically. She also encourages an active, hands-on approach to learning and keeping up with new technology and social platforms.  
Pure Performance Communications fuses strategic communications with innovative technology to impact business communications from consumer interest to brand advocacy and loyalty. The organization specializes in training, workshops, and integrated marketing strategy.

In This Episode

• Why transparency has become essential in modern marketing and business  
• How to engage with an influencer meaningfully to encourage stronger ROI
• Why keeping up with technological advancements is necessary for marketers
• How to allow your employees and customers to become organic advocates
• Why consumers want to see the behind the scenes and human side of brands

Quotes From This Episode

“If you’re building a relationship, think over time. There’s homework that goes into it. It’s not a one-off. It’s learning about somebody and their community.” —@dbreakenridge
“If you make influencers look good, in turn, they will make you look good. It’s a relationship. It’s a give and take.” —@dbreakenridge
“Social media has so opened up our world in terms of connections, relationships, and really amplifying and getting people to act.” —@dbreakenridge
“You have to have a level of trust and credibility. When you do, then you can say something and people will listen and act upon your words.”  —@dbreakenridge

“If you think back even to the early days of PR and marketing, we were always building those relationships with influencers, however they were done by traditional media. And today, you see a change because the media landscape is changing, the technology continues to change. This gives people, ordinary people, a voice, a bigger platform, a way to, you know, rally more communities around them and to collaborate and get others involved.” —@dbreakenridge

“We have to understand these changes in technology and behavior, to be able to spot the trends and whether that’s influence.” —@dbreakenridge
“Getting out of your comfort zone means being a little more hands-on and being a part of new communities.” —@dbreakenridge
“You’re going to see a lot more through video because we all know that video is a great way to be open, human, and transparent.” —@dbreakenridge

Resources

• In the News: Pinterest Launches the Pin Collective So Brands Can Hire Influencers to Create Ads
• Deirdre Breakenridge on Twitter: @dbreakenridge
• DeirdreBreakenridge.com
• PurePerformancecomm.com
• Casey Neistat
• Zagat Smartbox
• Birchbox
• Phil Gomes

Would You Rather

Would you rather be a master at pumpkin carving or at creating haunted houses?
Oh, pumpkin carving because I’ve always, always wanted to carve a pumpkin well and I clearly have not mastered that yet. I mean, they don’t look very good after I tried to carve them.
Would you rather be the funniest person in the room or the most intelligent?
You know, you never want to be the most intelligent in the room. So I’d rather be the funniest because I want to keep learning. So I’ll be funny and bring the smartest people you can around me and I’ll be a much happier and better off person.
Would you rather run at 100 miles per hour or fly at 10 miles per hour?
I like to fly at 10 miles per hour. And I’m thinking me physically flying, not in an airplane.