At the outset, advertising during a global pandemic looks pretty gross. Touting products that consumers can’t safely access let alone afford is a bad idea. It’s crass. Tone-deaf. It feels…yucky. 

Besides, no one cares right now. Literally everyone is managing a crisis every day; no one has time to hear about your product’s unique value proposition.

We need to feel supported. We need to feel heard. We need to feel connected. 

We need to know … Read Full Post »

One of the questions we’ve been getting asked since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic is, “Is it appropriate for a brand to be advertising now?” Alison Kimble Charles, CLEVER’s senior director of product marketing, has an answer for that! Alison has spent nearly a decade working with influencers and brands like Dove, Capital One and Chobani. She recently sat down with the host of Perlu’s “Influencer Marketing Reimagined” podcast where she … Read Full Post »

Working from home? Or, rather, trying to figure out how to work from home while also coping with a global pandemic? Fun times, right? We’re right there with you. CLEVER has always been a virtual, distributed team with a strong culture and shared sense of how to get sh*t done. Even though we’ve been a #WFH for over a decade, we’re having to figure things out right along with you. Being gentle with yourself and … Read Full Post »

Confused about which #influencersmarketing tools are best/when to use them? Don’t know if you should go with a self-serve platform or with a full-service agency? Navigating the world of influencers marketing can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! CLEVER founder and Influencer Marketing Association Executive Director, Kristy Sammis, sets the record straight. Here’s a preview: “My career with influencers has always been very hands-on and labor-intensive, because at the end of the … Read Full Post »

Have you seen them? The quirky presidential candidate memes or hot-takes on political news posted by your favorite influencers? If you haven’t, and you’re on social media, chances are you will see them soon! At CLEVER, we’ve tracked presidential candidates courting influencers since before the 2008 election cycle, when influencer marketing, as we now know it, was relatively new. In 2020, it’s a whole new game. Presidential candidates are hiring PR and content creation agencies, … Read Full Post »

This week, a Digiday article highlighted the rancor some influencers feel when they can no longer maintain one-to-one relationships with brands. Digiday posits that it’s the result of a maturing of the influencer marketing industry—and we agree. In the article, CLEVER founder and Influencer Marketing Association Executive Director Kristy Sammis says, “Influencer marketing has finally matured as an industry. Brands are now willing to allocate significant budgets to strategic influencer programs. This means they need … Read Full Post »

We’re finishing 2019 strong with Magaly, of Jet Plane Mommy, as our Featured Influencer! A Flight Attendant and Full-Time-Mom turned Blogger-Extraordinaire, Magaly knows a thing or two about the juggling act that comes with being a working parent. Her blog, which started as an outlet for sharing and processing her experience as a mother, has blossomed into a treasure trove of parenting and life hacks! She covers everything from family vacation advice to favorite … Read Full Post »

‘Tis the season for COOKIES! It’s the holidays, and no matter how you celebrate the season, one thing most everyone can agree on is: cookies are yummy! Whether enjoyed with milk, hot chocolate, coffee…or something “for the over-21 crowd,” we can’t get enough! That’s why we are re-sharing one of our favorite programs EVER, Bob’s Red Mill’s The United States of Cookies, in the hopes of inspiring your holiday baking and/or eating. 

Whether … Read Full Post »

Instagram has started testing the hiding of like counts and video views globally, including the US, last week. This test is making waves across the industry, but don’t panic. CLEVER Product Manager Carmen Shiu breaks it down for us.

TL;DR:

• What is Instagram doing?

  • Some users currently will not see the # of Instagram likes or video views of posts — only the user who posted can do so.

• …But why are they doing this?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released an online pamphlet called “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers.” This pamphlet makes it easier for influencers and influencer marketers to understand and digest an otherwise long, detailed version of the FTC’s Endorsement Guides. While none of the guidelines have actually changed, this is a great time for us to share a refresher.

TL;DR:

• When To Disclose: Influencers must disclose whenever there is a