What's the difference between a thought leader, influencer and advocate? All of these terms have been used interchangeably over the years until Joel Harrison and Katy Howell discussed the topic last week on a LinkedIn Live. Joel shared his new framework which helps to clarify each audience, defining the difference between paid and earned, expert opinion vs amplification. One other audience to consider would be the partner ecosystem (which would sit under unpaid). Some of the most successfully connected influencer programs I've seen is where a brand extends their reach via external partners as well as influencers and customers. Link to the full Live below 👇🏼
Another week, walk and report. This time, 6 B2B Predictions from Forrester : The Race To Trust And Value. Renee Irion , Principal Analyst at Forrester, talked about the prediction that 75% of B2B businesses will increase investment on influencer relations....
If you ever needed convincing that people-powered marketing is the way forward in 2026, check out this article from Lindsey Brummer . Packed full of latest insights from LinkedIn , she walks you through why people are better influencers than logos...
Authentic branding, trust and influence - Forrester are talking about it, Edelman are reporting on it. At a time when AI is diluting trust, brands are searching a way to strengthen it. In my experience, when sales, marketing and executives...