Influencer marketing seems to be a new way of advertising that has developed over the last few years.  What do you think about it?
I think it's great! It's different because focus is placed on influential people instead of a target market as a whole! Definitely a new way of doing things!
Any you follow on Twitter or anything? I like Jeff Bezos from Amazon, Elon Musk and Mark Cuban.
Yes, I follow all three of them! Do you think bloggers and the internet have created the need for influencer marketing? It seems like a lot of journalists, professional advisers and the like are now participating in the trend.
Oh definitely.  Now that it is easier to get your message out, you do not have to pay for blocks on television, more and more people have gained influence for sure.
Influencer content is sometimes presented as testimonial advertising where people play the role of a potential buyer or user. How often do we see celebrities endorsing products? Surely they must be influential marketers!
All the time, and it is cheaper to do than what normal advertising used to be.  Plus companies can adjust on the fly and turnaround strategies in a day instead of a week.  It is fascinating.
I agree! It is fascinating! A lot of talk about social influence centers on compliance and persuasion in a social environment. Everyone in some way wants to fit in and I think that has a lot to do with it. 
True, you have to wonder how much of these endorsements are actually fake.  I would gather a fair amount of them are, the endorsers just want to fit in with the in crowd.
Yes, that's very true. It's amazing how much people's behaviors, opinions and emotions can be affected by others. I think kids are especially vulnerable to this!