With just over two weeks to go until the next Digital Sport London event comes to you from the offices of Telefonica Digital in Soho, we have now confirmed all of our speakers and panellists for what is set to be an insightful evening’s dive into the finer points of influencer marketing.

The world of social media is maturing. No longer is it a fun oddity on the fringes of the media landscape. Instead, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat – the big four when it comes to social media platforms – are now places where brands, organisations and even individuals simply must have a presence these days.

But it’s certainly not easy once you’re there. Reach is an age-old problem for brands looking to market a product, and that’s no different these days. On top of that, actually ensuring that you make a connection with those people who see your ad is an even more difficult prospect. In order to do that, it’s necessary to ensure that you do so in a way that retains the trust of the target audience.

That too is easier said than done in a world where trust seems to be eroded even more with each passing day. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, people are becoming more wary of what happens behind the scenes on the internet. The horror stories of fake followers as well as unscrupulous accounts who don’t play by the rules are popping up, too.

Yet influencer marketing is not really a new concept – despite the thoroughly modern feel to the current phenomenon. Since time immemorial, anyone looking to sell anything has targeted word-of-mouth strategies in order to get people buying – and that tactic works best when you get an influential personality to endorse what you’re selling.

But modern influencer marketing should work in a much more sophisticated way than that. It is a chance not only for brands and organisations to get their products and logos in front of more people, it is also a chance for influencers themselves to create better and more relevant content – because they have the support of a sponsor and potentially the ability to work with brands to get better access to stars or events across the globe. And in turn, that should benefit fans. It’s not a chance to make a quick buck, but rather an opportunity for a lasting partnership that pays dividends for all parties.

So there’s definitely value to be had.

????Speakers Confirmed: Join us for Finding the Value in Influencer Marketing next month at #DSLondon

With…@Topspur_Niall ⚽️@richardgillis1 ????@garethwg ????@sebcbrown4 ????️‍♂️

Details below ????????https://t.co/l6UsWMaRLB

— Digital Sport (@DigitalSportUK) August 28, 2018

A stellar panel of Gareth Griffiths, Head of Sponsorship, O2, Seb Carmichael-Brown, Commercial Director, Hashtag United and Richard Gillis, Managing Partner, Cake, will be moderated by Niall Coen, Founder and CEO, Snack Media, and will discuss these issues and more, with networking opportunities before and after.

No doubt trust will feature heavily in the discussion, as will the mutual benefits of such partnerships – and how best to unlock them.

For brands who are considering ways of reaching a new audience, for marketers who are looking to try something different, for influencers who want to monetise their accounts or even for individuals who just want to see where the future of social media marketing is heading – everyone has reason to attend this one.

We hope to see you there on September 13th!