Book excerpt: The Age of Influence is an essential guide for marketing professionals and business owners who want to create and implement a highly effective, sustainable influencer marketing plan in order for their brands to succeed. We are amid an unprecedented digital transformation and tapping into this change is vital to any brand in today’s climate. Social media has democratized authority and influence, and information is created and consumed in ways that are constantly evolving. Internationally-recognized social media marketing expert Neal Schaffer explains how that shift plays a significant role in online marketing in the Influencer Era. Influencer marketing is about establishing relationships, turning fans into influencers, and leveraging that influence to share your message in a credible and authentic way. In The Age of Influence, Schaffer teaches entrepreneurs, marketing executives, and cutting-edge agencies how to: Identify,?approach, and engage the right influencers for their brand or product. Determine?what resources to put behind influencer campaigns. Manage the business side of influencer marketing, including tools that will help?measure ROI. Develop?their brand’s social media voice to become an influencer in its own right. This book is the definitive guide to addressing the issues disrupting marketing trends, including declining television viewership, growing social media audiences, effectively spreading their message digitally, and increasing usage of ad-blocking technology.