The 2018 PRSA Southeast District Conference aims to keep you up on the latest emerging trends in public relations, communications and marketing.

With the disaggregatiion of media power, organizations are increasingly turning to influencers to help boost their brands’ profile. As part of the Wednesday breakout sessions Maree Jones of Luckie & Co. will talk about the power of influencers.

Jones is obsessed with digital marketing, and it shows. As a content, social media and PR specialist for Luckie & Co., one of the top advertising firms in the southeast, Maree oversees social media channel strategies, content strategy and influencer outreach for major US brands in CPG, travel and tourism, pharma, and professional services, respectively.

We caught up with Maree to get a preview of her talk:

Are bloggers still relevant and influential?

My personal philosophy is that bloggers and influencers have the potential to create content that is more engaging, compelling and relevant than brand-created content due to the fact that influencers know their audiences extremely well. It’s their job! In fact, a report by Bloglovin’ recently suggested that 67% of marketers believe that influencer marketing helps them reach a more targeted audience and create much more of an impact. Clearly, influencer marketing will be here for awhile, and it’s our responsibility as PR professionals to tap into those resources in a meaningful and responsible way.

What are the ethical traps for engaging with bloggers?

The FTC is cracking down on influencer posts that appear as though they’re organic mentions. Disclaimers must be in place, whether on blogs, websites or within social media post copy, otherwise, you could be setting your brand up for legal issues down the road. There are also some ethical issues surrounding compensation, and what constitutes best practices. Influencer marketing does fall into the category of paid media, so it cannot be approached the same way as traditional PR outreach. There must be some form of compensation, as well as a disclosure, even if that compensation is in-kind or “comped” goods and services.

You call yourself “The Influencer Whisperer.” What does that mean?

In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to play both sides of the fence. In my day-to-day, I work with brands and third-party influencer programs to establish briefs and strategy for influencer outreach, as well as conduct influencer outreach directly. But I’ve also worked as an influencer and blogger. In my spare time, I consult with influencers and bloggers on how they can partner with brands and marketing agencies and have attended several influencer conferences and events, learning all I can about this group of people. I love working with creative individuals, and influencers are truly some of the most innovative ones out there. It gives me a professional edge to know what makes these content creators tick and consistently inspires me to up my game.

Where should brands go to find influencers?

It depends on which “thing” you have more of: time or money. If you have time to pursue a DIY influencer outreach approach, hashtags on Instagram and Twitter can uncover a treasure trove of influencers by topic area, or even by location. I always recommend starting there. If you have a decent budget for influencer marketing, however, there are a number of third-party companies and resources that can curate influencers on your behalf.

Both DIY influencer outreach and partnering with influencer companies have their pros and cons, but before pursuing either approach, you must ensure you know what you want influencer marketing to do for your business and create a brief or set of guidelines for your influencers. This will help guide your program and ensure success no matter who is running the show.

What can conference attendees expect to learn from your discussion?

Through qualitative and quantitative research, I’ve uncovered some key insights that marketers and PR professionals must know if they want their influencer program to be successful. The best part about this information? It comes directly from the source. I’ve done all the due diligence for conference attendees, so all they have to do is show up and reap the benefits and knowledge!

The PRSA Southeast District Conference takes place April 18-20, 2018, in Raleigh, N.C. For more information or to register, visit prsasummit.org.