Who are the influencers today?

Here are the keys to understanding how topics pick up speed over time

What are the dangers Youtubers need to be mindful of?

How did content creators adapt their content to the current situation and to maintain their sponsorships ?

5 essential podcasts for female founders that are guaranteed to give your business a boost.

How is Nike using their female influencer-athletes to highlight women empowerment, and are their updated marketing strategies too little, too late?

Here is our top 8 entrepreneurship podcasts for your listening and enjoyment needs

A look at influencer marketing and sponsorships

The Hustle is one of our favorite long term partners, so in honor of that great relationship we wanted to show you some cool data around their content.

Introducing the NEW Trends report

Here are our favourite 6 crossover stars of YouTube and Podcasts

First impressions of a brand new social media app

Welcome to our new VIPs

A closer look at ThirdLove's marketing strategy

In spring 2020, if you weren’t baking sourdough, what were you doing with your time?

We decided to take on Adam’s recipes in our first team Taste Test. The challenge was to each pick and cook a recipe that had featured on Adam’s channel. Here are some of the best results: 

Here we dive into some of those trends to better understand what parents across the world have been struggling with during the past year: 

As we enter Women’s History Month, we’d like to take the opportunity to highlight 3 top female YouTube creators who are currently triumphing the sponsorship space - and who’s channels you should check out right now. 

Here are a few tricks on how to make sure to get a repeat brand deal.

Let's have a closer look at Ridge Wallet's marketing strategy !

Let's take a closer look at Skillshare's strategy!

Deep dive into Dr. Squatch's marketing strategy

After many years of struggle, Youtube now stands as a prime advertiser for gaming companies as well as becoming the #2 website for streaming gameplay content and having 100 billion hours of gaming content being watched in 2020.But why do gaming brands love Youtube?

Which are the family channels we'll keep our eyes on this year?

In this article we look at certain aspects of the new 24/7 home reality and how that has affected what we do.

We are excited to announce the addition of two up and coming gaming creators !

Check out the most important influencer marketing trends to watch in 2021. We’ve put together the big picture of what’s been happening on YouTube, podcast, and private e-newsletter in the past 3 years leading up to 2021 to give our readers insight into what will happen in 2021 - and what marketers should be doing to capitalize on these trends. 

Let’s take a deeper look at the growth of podcasts and audio sites to gain a broader understanding of the relevance of Audible as a service. 

Mack Weldon is a DTC clothing company focussing on reinventing mens basics

Deep dive into Brilliant's marketing strategy

We asked the ThoughtLeaders team to reflect on the content creators that stood out to them this year and helped to get them through. 

Earlier this year, we launched a podcast to sit down with some of our favorite content creators, and find out what it takes to build an audience and a career out of their passion projects. 

Why is Raycon sponsoring everywhere on YouTube? Raycon is a perfect case study for marketers who want to learn how to harness the power of savvy content partnerships to make a splash for their brand. 

Case study of Scentbird's sponsorship strategy

Case study of Honey's sponsorship strategy

Case study of Cariuma's sponsorship approach

A few months ago, we started a survey to talk to content creators, and find out what their experiences have been like over the past year, from the impact of Covid-19 to the ongoing headaches of securing brand sponsors. 

With our latest updates, it’s even easier to generate and vet a list of creators who are relevant to your brand. 

Sponsorship Marketing has become an industry. But what does the data reveal?

Today, we’re going to find out how by using Google trends we can find your next content idea and along with the ThoughtLeaders platform we’ll show you how valuable this info can be. 

An in-depth research on why brand partnerships and sponsored content are well worth your investment.

As more and more brands look to podcast sponsorship and more and more podcasters seek to make a living from it, here are some key elements you need to know

We’ve done a thorough analysis of each one of the top 10 nominees for Creator of the Year to show you their strategies to success.

In this report we’re going to be looking at the commercial side of ASMR and why it may be too good a category for brands for us to keep quiet about.

When coming up with a sponsored content strategy that works, it’s not enough to just look at the success of individual channels. Once you’ve found what works, it’s time to look at how to make these results replicable and scalable. 

These are the fundamentals, or ABCs, of marketing.

The question we return to now is whether there would be a bounce back in Q3 2020.

2020 has thus far been defined by COVID-19, but in the history books we may very well refer to this year as a pivotal moment in economic development with the birth of the passion economy. 

At ThoughtLeaders, we're inspired by the power of influencer marketing, so we've made it our mission to help everyone from creators, talent managers, and marketers alike find the right relationships that drive success. We'll get you up to speed on executing the most ROI-efficient influencer campaigns and how to address your brand's unique needs. Click thru to read more.

While most retailers took a massive hit as a result of COVID-19, thredUP is one of the few companies that came out on top. Check out this article to learn more about how this company is making a splash in both the world of sustainable fashion and sponsorships!

Back to school is one of the major annual events in the retail calendar. Its seasonality is wrapped up in the phrase itself as the end of each summer brings a rush of activity to send students of all ages into their new semesters fully equipped.

A rundown of some of the best influencer discovery platforms on the market

If you’re looking to avoid having the awkward conversation with your boss as to why you spent $10,000 on instagrambots last quarter, we’re here to break down the signs of a fake influencer, how to avoid them, and how to go one step further and vet your creators systematically to get the most out of every marketing dollar your brand spends. 

I’ve spent the last month or so trying out some of the most popular podcasts for nodding off. Here’s the rundown on what managed to put me asleep.

This checklist covers the basics of marketing strategy all the way to tracking and measuring results and everything in between - you’re welcome <3 

Here are some fail-safe strategies for learning from your competitor’s sponsorship history

Raycon launched into the industry, quickly outpacing their more established competitors specifically through the use of sponsored content. Raycon is dominating 3 of the 4 major content verticals that we are seeing an ROI for audio brands across YouTube and podcast primarily. Raycon has also identified other brands that appeal to Raycon’s target consumer, such as Squarespace and Skillshare, and are optimizing their brand messaging through sponsoring only the top performing channels for these brands.

How To content is a foundational element of digital media and is only continuing to gain traction. For many communities that lack traditional resources, this content is vital for learning and gaining new skills. We’ve seen just how much traffic has been driven to online learning, certifications, and alternatives to university as the COVID pandemic eats into the typical academic calendar.

The How-To video has become a classic genre on YouTube, promising viewers a definitive guide on the best way to achieve the desired result. How-To videos done well can also be perfect opportunities for brand sponsorships.

The combination of new dog owners and existing pet owners being forced to stay home throughout the COVID-19 crisis created a perfect opportunity for BarkBox to shine. Like many DTC companies and other subscription-based services, BarkBox saw an increase in business as their service which was once deemed as merely a more convenient option to going to the store became a way for people to stay safe. As BarkBox’s business increased in March, so did their presence online.

Subscription boxes as a business model have exploded in the past few years and it makes perfect sense. Every thing you can put on a delivery cadence is one more thing you don’t forget to buy and run out of just when the stores are closed.

COVID-19 has been unprecedented in many ways - and we are still counting new records and measuring historical benchmarks as 2020 progresses. The professional sports industry is perhaps one of the few that was least-prepared for a worldwide pandemic such as this - but in equal measure has been one of the fastest to bounce back with an entirely new game.

The big news rocking the marketing world this week is the growing list of brands who are boycotting Facebook ads, in response to the tech giant’s inadequate response to the hate speech on its platform. 

The inside scoop on how Ben & Jerry's achieves brand awareness success!

The overhead shot has long been the preferred framing for Instagram’s army of foodies, as you’ll know if you’ve even found yourself at brunch surrounded by micro-influencers standing on chairs to capture their food at the perfect angle. Somewhere along the way, someone decided that this framing could work not just for the finished product but for the food prep itself. That’s when Tasty, the Buzzfeed food channel, stepped onto the scene and became an internet phenomenon. 

A lot has been said about DTC (Direct to Consumer) brands and their rise in popularity in recent years. They have consistently been major users of sponsorship in their marketing mix and through analyzing their sponsorship strategies from Q1 2019 through Q2 2020 we can see just what the trends of growth were YoY pre-COVID and how the pandemic impacted growth. 

Manscaped is a manufacturer and online retailer of personal care products for men. They've built their niche with a smart strategy of YouTube and podcast sponsorships to help their products break into the mainstream.

It wasn’t that long ago that we were celebrating marriage equality - and in 2020 to have a decision on upholding gender discrimination protections in the workplace be so hotly debated, it’s clear the LGBTQ community has a long path ahead to ensuring on a legal platform, they stand equal. But on a socio-organizational level, this community has embraced the power of online connection to develop a network of informative, entertaining, and relatable content that has spread far beyond the screens of LGBTQ folks. 

Each year, there are companies whose attempts at some kind of Pride marketing smack of lazy pinkwashing. The campaigns that are guilty of this misstep are the ones that make tokenistic use of the LGBTQ+ struggle or provide a very shallow picture of what Pride actually represents. When brands get this wrong, at best they sound disingenuous, and at worse, they actively insult the community they are aiming to support.

Nike is one of the most recognized brands on the planet, with the iconic tick logo and their famous three-word slogan. Founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, the company was originally known as Blue-Ribbon Sports before changing their name to Nike in 1978. 

At ThoughtLeaders we alone can’t break the wall of injustice that has stood tall for centuries - but we can try our best to make a dent. We can, like with this article, raise the profiles of content creators of color. But we also recognize that really isn’t enough. We would like to make sure that more sponsorship money is getting into the hands of creators of color, so if you are a brand that shares that goal or if you are a creator of color reach out to us and we will do our utmost to make that happen.

Gong is a technology that provides businesses with real-time insights into sales conversations. We look at their sponsorship strategy and how they are using podcasts to reach B2B clients.

Wix is a free website builder, allowing those of us without a degree in coding to create stylish and easy-to-use websites. Founded in 2006, by 2019 Wix was boasting 150 million users. They currently have offices in 9 different countries, and users spread across 190 countries.

In this article we’re going to be looking at references to different forms of remote digital gatherings including webinars, livestreams and the newly established category of online / virtual events.

Our study of HelloFresh and its sponsorship game plan

An in-depth analysis of Withings' sponsorship approach

The ultimate Fitness, Workout and Tracking Trend Report

An analysis of Athletic Greens' marketing strategy

An in-depth research on Four Sigmatic's marketing strategy

In this industry report, we’re taking a look at key dieting apps and how they’re sponsoring over time to not only attract new customers, but build a cult following that drives organic mentions for them.

A close look at Klaviyo's sponsored content strategy

A study on ClickFunnels sponsoring strategy

Do business decision-makers listen to podcasts? How do you reach fortune 500 CEOs? This week we explore how B2B works in sponsored content.

Which brands have the playbook to sponsorships in gaming? Who is the champion of this league of legends? We’ve broken down some major trends in gaming content to give you insight into sponsorship trends and related brands that are modeling interesting and revenue-generating strategies.

Deep dive into ASUS' appearance in content

There has been an explosion in VPNs in the content we consume, driven in recent years by a tense and relentless battleground for VPN supremacy.This is…..the VPN wars

The growth of the marijuana industry is undeniable, and although there are still several challenges facing these ‘green’ start-ups, we’ve already identified some early trends that brands can take advantage of to sidestep these obstacles to growth and gain traction in this burgeoning industry. 

On our podcast we will be sitting down with incredible content creators from some of the world's leading YouTube channels, podcasts and email newsletters. We like to call these creators ThoughtLeaders because they inspire us and cultivate a culture of higher-level thinking each and every day. The ThoughtLeaders podcast will give you a behind scenes look at these amazing content creators. We will learn how they got their start, what inspires them and really get to know the person behind the camera or mic.

We’re here to provide you with some exclusive data straight from the ThoughtLeaders’ platform to help your digital marketing team succeed while everyone is working from home.

Let's have a look at some of the fitness brands that are disrupting the industry with innovative technology and business model.

The beauty industry is ever-growing and has quickly managed to adapt to the online world.

In the ever growing Game of Thrones that is the streaming wars that are just getting going and are looking likely to dominate the next decade, there is a new player that everyone is talking about. Or are they?

Online courses can be joined by anyone, from anywhere in the world. In today’s shifting world and economics, people are in a constant need to reinvent themself and continue learning new skills. With an increasing amount of content being created around self-improvement and with new skill development becoming an economy unto itself, Youtube is the perfect platform to reach people looking to educate themselves.

The online medicine industry is thriving. Consumers are asking for it and venture-capital fundings have exceeded hundreds of millions of dollars since 2017. This industry is perfect for content sponsorship, with their business models being almost exclusively direct-to-consumer where they can easily do offers and attribution on their marketing spend.

Wellness is a new movement that is changing the way people look at their lives. The goal is to reduce stress and live a mindful life. Here are 6 apps that people are talking about the most in podcasts.