Dennis Bernstein

You will want to select influencers that fit with your brand image, and those that will relate to your core target audience. The number of followers don't fully matter, as micro-influencers (those with fewer followers) could have stronger engagement and the ability to drive purchase than those influencers with massive audiences. I would always recommend testing with influencers before you build a long-term contract. It is all about relationship building and wanting any influencer message to feel authentic to your core audience.

Cohort analysis is extremely important to understand not only what is happening with your most recent sales, but tracking that against key segments from the past. You will want to make those comparisons and see whether your current marketing plans are delivering better or worse than what you have previously done. Using analytical tools like Peel Analytics can help you better understand cohorts, where you are able to build out your own segments and compare consumer behaviors within those segments.

As you are developing your brand strategy, you will want to determine what is your brand moat - what are those things that your brand can do that others cannot. Then, determine how you can own those differentiating factors.

Always look for creative ways to sign up for sponsorships that utilize your sponsorship fee as working dollars (i.e., put those dollars towards media within the sponsored event/team vs. just a fee to get your brand logo out there). This will allow those sponsorship dollars to be stronger and deliver a better ROI.

Highly recommend connecting with marketing communities not only in the digital space (like LinkedIn), but also look for opportunities to connect and network with other marketers at local chapter events. This is a great way to build connections, and leverage those connections for future cross-sharing of ideas and marketing opportunities.

You will always want to create a moat around your brand. Determine what you are really good it, and what truly sets your brand apart from other brands, and build a moat around that key POD. This will help distinguish your brand in the hearts and minds of consumers, and drive a stronger brand connection, and hopefully leading to strong retention.