mccarthy.jpg" alt="influence marketing is hot" width="547" height="601"> As many of our channels for reaching customers are getting strangled, brands are turning to new ways to connect and communicate with customers. One natural opportunity is to align with the authentic advocacy represented by bloggers and other powerful content creators. In an information-dense world where it is more difficult to become the signal instead of the noise, blogger outreach is escalating, providing both financial opportunity and ethical dilemmas. This dynamic provides fascinating and entertaining fodder for the latest Marketing Companion podcast. Tom Webster and I dissect some of the most important issues in the field today like:

• Flout: The New Standard for Influence. Really.
• Why bloggers are trumping mainstream media
• A first-hand account of escalating influence marketing
• Why 95 percent brands are stumbling in the influence marketing field
• Stepping over the line -- Influencer or infomercial?
• How to create raving advocates the right way

Hey! I'm ready to listen to this all over again! Are you ready?