Most discussion on the generic topic of social influence centres on compliance and persuasion in a social environment, as exemplified in Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: Science and Practice.

In the context of influencer marketing, influence is less about argument and coercion to a particular point of view, and more about loose interactions between various parties in a community. Influence is often equated to advocacy, but may also be negative, and is thus related to concepts of promoters and detractors.

There are thousands of large social media accounts that are not connected to a personality. We call these "themed pages". Companies looking to reap the benefits of large reach without paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to top celebrities have the option to use themed pages. As of this writing, the average CPM is between $1-$3 when using these types of pages. The key is to find the sweet spot between the "influence" of celebrities and the reach of the post. Companies that are looking to promote a large product launch should heavily consider influencer marketing with themed pages. Celebrities tend to do better for brand recognition and branding

There many types of companies offering influencer marketing services and software. The influencer marketing landscape is a fragmented space with over 133 providers.  The providers can be broken down into 4 distinct types that  should be used differently depending on the situation. Here are the four types below:

• Influencer Marketing Agencies - These companies are full service agencies and will help you with designing your objectives, developing strategy, and executing your plan. E.g. 360i, 1000 Heads, and Acorn Influence
• Influencer Management Platforms - These companies help you connect with influencers and manage campaigns. E.g. Activate by Jamballa, BillionBlogs, and PopularPays.
• Influencer Marketing Tools - These companies create tools that will increase efficiency, effectiveness when working with influencers. E.g. Klear, Mention, and Reachbird.
• Other Influencer Marketing Companies - These companies do not fit in any of three previous categories, but they do offer a wide range of services that are focused on utilizing influencer marketing. These services may include software, content creation, consulting, and more.