Digital Influence Unleash the Power of Influencer Marketing to Accelerate Your Global Business

This book brings order to the chaotic and rapidly evolving world of influencer marketing by providing readers with much needed context, frameworks, and best practices. Written for busy marketing professionals working in both domestic and international markets, it addresses these topics in a highly actionable and engaging manner.

Digital Influence covers everything from how to identify the right influencers and determine “level of influence” to collaborating with influencers and measuring ROI. It turns out, it’s not all about paying online celebrities outrageous sums to post sponsored content. Backaler also provides much-needed context for why influencer marketing is flourishing today, and perspective into what a more technologically-enabled, globally-connected future will look like.

Ultimately, people want to learn from trusted peers, not faceless companies. Better than any corporate marketing function, influencers understand how to make best use of social media platforms and tailor content for their respective cultures to engage consumers in their home markets. Business leaders should arm themselves with Backaler's book to ensure they're not left behind.

1 Introduction.- 2 Then vs. Now: Influencer Marketing (Re-Defined).- 3 Levels of Influence: Key Characteristics of Modern-Day Influencers.- 4 A Global Phenomenon: The Rise of Influencers Around the World.- 5 Business to Consumer (B2C) Influencer Marketing Landscape.- 6 Business to Business (B2B) Influencer Marketing Landscape.- 7 Discover Influencers: Finding the Perfect Match.- 8 Engage Influencers: Developing an Effective Outreach Strategy.- 9 Collaborate with Influencers: Potential Paths to Take.- 10 Know the Risks: The Dark Side of Influencer Collaboration.- 11 Measure Success: What’s the Return on Investment.- 12 Case Studies: Influencer Marketing Best Practices from Around the World.- 13 What's Coming: The Future of Influencer Marketing.

Joel Backaler is Managing Director of Global Marketing for Frontier Strategy Group, an international business advisory serving more than 5,000 global executives. He is the author of China Goes West (Palgrave Macmillan), an award-winning international business book that examines the global rise of Chinese brands. In addition to companies from emerging markets, Backaler has worked with many of the world’s top brands, including Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, HP and Danone.

He is a frequent contributor to media outlets such as The Financial Times, The New York Times, Bloomberg and the Harvard Business Review. He is also a sought after public speaker, with previous engagements at Northwestern University, the London School of Economics, the Hamburg Summit, the Emerging Markets Summit, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Backaler is a graduate of Connecticut College, a former Fulbright Scholar and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Hecurrently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Qian and son Henry.