How to achieve influence: From hype to hope through science

This article outlines the five major challenges that must be overcome before social influence marketing can solve real problems reliably for brands.

How to achieve influence: From hype to hope through science

Sinan AralNYU Stern School of Business

Social influence marketing needs to adopt a more rigorous approach to strategy and execution if it is to deliver a measurable return on investment.

There's a lot of hype around social influence marketing today. The pitch is typically wrapped in the sweetest jargon: 'earned media', 'bottom-up branding', 'inbound marketing', and 'organic referrals', that are provided by enthusiastic 'influencers', who already love your brand. All we need to do is find them, target them and motivate them to spread the gospel.

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