Todd Stearn’s Post

View profile for Todd Stearn, graphic

CEO @The Aragon Company | Performance-driven affiliate & influencer marketing for FinTech

Mid-June, Forbes launched their first creator upfront, in partnership with Walmart. Basically, creators were invited to pitch brands on why they should work with them, similar to how the ad industry organizes yearly upfronts for publishers to pitch their content to agencies and media buyers. The new kid on the block is learning from the old guard. We're moving into a new era of influencer marketing. Less amateurship, more pro-level. Influencers are now seen as legitimate advertising partners, and the fact that Forbes organized a special event for them is more than telling.

Todd Stearn

CEO @The Aragon Company | Performance-driven affiliate & influencer marketing for FinTech

1mo
Abdel Zouhri

Writer | I help coaches & agencies get more leads and sales | click FOLLOW to save hours of Copywriting, Scripts, and Funnels.

1mo

Wow, Forbes teaming up with Walmart for a creator upfront is a game-changer! 🚀 It's like influencers are finally graduating from being 'just another social media personality' to serious advertising pros. Remember when everyone thought influencer marketing was just a bubble? Well, looks like it's here to stay and getting more professional by the minute. Creators now have to bring their A-game to pitch directly to big brands - it's no longer just about posting pretty pictures. It’s strategy, creativity, and real business impact time!

Like
Reply
Michael Ilori

Automation Architect | Helping Service-Based Businesses get 50-100 qualified leads straight into their pipelines | With Bespoke AI Infrastructure Systems | DM me ‘AI’ and I’ll show you how to implement one.

1mo

Wow, Forbes teaming up with Walmart for a creator upfront? That's huge! 🚀 It really shows how much influencer marketing has grown up. Gone are the days when being an influencer was just about posting cool pics. Now, it’s all about serious business and making genuine connections with your audience. Plus, having big names like Forbes backing creators? That’s a game-changer. Excited to see where this leads!

Like
Reply

It's fascinating to see the evolution of influencer marketing with events like this. How do you think this shift will impact the traditional advertising landscape?

Like
Reply
Jacques Simon

Owner at JSM LLC | Helping small biz owners consistently make more sales with behavioral dynamic response marketing

1mo

Is that a good thing, though? If "more pro-level" means less REAL, then it could dilute the influencer's authentic flare. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Like
Reply
See more comments

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics