Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here.

This Week’s Topic: Working with Influencers

Back in 2011, one of our Brilliant Bloggers editions was about working with brands. It was packed with great advice about how bloggers and other content creators can be work with brands for reviews, advertising, and other partnerships.

Today, I wanted to flip that topic and instead talk how brands should work with influences. In the past year, the term “influence marketing” has been popping up more and more. Brands are starting to realize the power content creators have over their followers online, and they’re looking for ways to harness this power.

Working with influences isn’t always easy, though, and some brands are getting it really wrong. Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten a pitch to promote something that had NOTHING to do with your blog.

If you’re a brand who wants to amplify your message through influencer marketing, this is the Brilliant Bloggers for you!

Brilliant Blogger of the Week

Why Influencer Marketing Is Failing In Retail by Macala Wright (@macala)

While this post on psfk is specific for retail companies, there are important lessons here for brands in all industries. Macala talks about why there’s been a “bastardization of influence” and how redefining influencers for more strategic long-term relationships is key to getting influencer marketing back on track.

In this piece, Macala also gives some practical suggestions on how your brand can successfully implement influencer marketing, so it’s a must-read for any brand interested in this kind of message amplification.

Even More Brilliant Advice:

• 5 Tips for Selling Influencer Marketing to the Man by Pierre-Loic Assayag (@pierreloic)
• 7 Tips to Enhance Influencer Marketing by Michoel Ogince (@Twabbi)
• Digital Marketing Expert Mitch Joel Talks About Leveraging Influencers and Real-Time Social Engagement by Jason Miller (@JasonMillerCA)
• How to Build an Influencer Program that Gets Results by Onalytica (@onalytica)
• How to Identify Influencers by Patricia Odell
• Influencer Marketing: How Your Business Can Benefit From Popchips’ Secret Recipe by Meghan Casserly (@Meg_Casserly)
• Influencer Marketing: SugarCRM’s Influencer Playing Cards by Craig Rosenberg (@funnelholic)
• Influencer Marketing – What it is, and Why YOU Need to be Doing it by Eric Enge (@stonetemple)
• Influencer Marketing: Who, what, how and why? by Amy Wolpa
• The Mythology of Social Influence by Rohn Jay Miller (@rohnjaymiller)
• The New Digital Influencers by Laurent Francois (@lilzeon)
• Online Influence and Smoke-Filled Back Rooms by Ken Mueller (@kmueller62)
• Paradox of Online Influence by Jure Klepic (@jkcallas)
• PaySimple is a case study in influencer marketing done right by Matt Ridings (@techguerilla)
• The Problem With Measuring Digital Influence by Dr. Michael Wu (@mich8elwu)
• Social Influence Marketing is About to Change Your Business: Author of ‘Return On Influence’ by Mark W. Schaefer (@markwschaefer)
• Social influence: the next step for ecommerce? by Tim Grimes (@digitim)
• Uncovering and Identifying Your Audience’s Digital Influencers by Andrew Davis
• What a $4 Mil. Super Bowl Ad Could Buy in Influencer Marketing by Eric Smith (@theblogfrog)
• What’s the Best Way to Measure Influence? DIY Not Klout! by Allyson Kapin (@care2frogloop)
• The Whole Fuss About “Influencer Marketing” by Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan)
• Why Brands Are So Afraid Of Influence Marketing by Nyerr Parham (@nyerr)
• Why Brands Fail at Influencer Marketing by Jennifer Beaupre (jenbeaupre)

Did I miss your post or a post by someone you know about influencer marketing? Unintentional! Help me out by leaving a comment below with the link.

Next Brilliant Blogger Topic: Facebook Ads

I’d love to include a link to your post in our next installment– and if you head to the Brilliant Bloggers Schedule, you can see even more upcoming posts. We all have something to learn from one another, so please don’t be shy! Head to the schedule today to learn how to submit your post so I won’t miss it.