Influencer marketing is big business. But in the rush to find the right voices to help sell your brand story, how do you sort the bloggers from the blaggers? How do you avoid the perils and potential pitfalls of influencer marketing and make sure it delivers real, tangible results?

Designed to give brands, marketers and PRs an insight into this rapidly evolving marketing field, Unhooked Communications and the Northern Creative Collective present Influencers Unhooked: Digital marketing, PR and SEO in the age of the online influencer.

The evening offers a rare opportunity to hear first-hand from a panel of four influencers, content creators and bloggers on topics including:

• building relationships and working with influencers
• developing a creative, collaborative approach to content creation
• finding and approaching the right bloggers, creators and influencers for your business
• planning and delivering an effective campaign that suits your objectives and budget
• measuring the impact and success of blogger outreach and influencer marketing campaigns

With more brands attempting to harness the power of influencer marketing, and a growing number of bloggers trying to monetise their online profile, this is a chance to discuss some successes (and failures), and ask questions about everything from advertising legislation to fake followers.

In the session, we’ll hear from:

Kate Baxter, Fabric of My Life: www.fabricofmylife.co.uk

Launched in 2009, Fabric of my Life is an interiors, lifestyle and travel blog with a focus on contemporary design with a bohemian flair, written by freelance PR consultant Kate Baxter. Having been featured in national newspapers and magazines, such as The Times, The Telegraph and Ideal Homes, Kate regularly collaborates with design brands including Ikea, Heal’s and Iittala, as well as national tourism boards and hotel chains. In September 2017, Fabric of my Life won Best Interior Blog at the inaugural Northern Blog Awards.

Katie Portman, Pouting in Heels: www.poutinginheels.com

Katie writes Pouting in Heels, an award-winning parenting and lifestyle blog. Covering everything from motherhood to style, women's issues to travel, Katie aims to inspire women with her writing by speaking openly about the things we often find the most difficult to talk about. Katie has worked with many well-known brands over the last five years, including Huggies, Cosatto, John Lewis and ASDA. Pouting in Heels was named the Best Parenting Blog (Mums) at the Northern Blog Awards last year. Katie is also busy writing her first book, due out later this autumn.

Holly Wood, Holly Goes Lightly and We Blog North: www.hollygoeslightly.co.uk

Holly is a blogger, mum and start-up business owner. She created and runs WeBlogNorth and is the founder of the annual The Northern Blog Awards. Holly has been blogging for six years, focusing on travel, food, interiors and parenting. Holly has worked with brands including Silvercross, Christy, Boden, LaBelle Assiette, Malmaison, Vileda, EatWith and Festival Number 6. Holly is a champion of micro-influencers and believes that quality engagement is just as strong – if not stronger – than quantity when it comes to collaborating with brands.

Fiona Sarah, A Mum Track Mind: www.amumtrackmind.com

Fiona founded the popular blog, A Mum Track Mind, while on maternity leave from her career as a digital media manager for a global technology company. Fiona now works regularly with leading retailers and travel brands, and considers the likes of Huggies, Mothercare, P&O, Jet2, Selfridges, Charlotte Tilbury and Clarins as some of her most successful repeat collaborations. Working with well known companies, Fiona aims to bring a unique perspective of seeing collaborations from the perspective of both brand and influencer.

Influencer marketing can be an extremely valuable marketing tactic for brands, but like most things it needs to be done with care. We’ve seen brands in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the race to ‘go viral’ recently, so there’s never been a better time to learn about how this new and exciting approach can work for you.

The event is suitable for business owners, in-house marketers, marketing and PR agencies, freelancers, digital marketers, traditional marketers, SEOs or anyone else who is already doing - or think about doing - influencer marketing and blogger outreach.

Registration and a drinks reception starts at 6.30pm. The panel discussion will start approximately 7.15pm. After the panel discussion the bar will be open and there will be a chance to network with others in the marketing, media and content industries.

£1 of every ticket sold will be donated to Forget Me Not Children's Hospice. The charity is opening a new children's hospice in Bury in autumn 2018 to provide care and support for the 650 children with life-shortening conditions in North Manchester and their families.