SALT LAKE CITY (Sept. 21, 2016) /PRNewswire/ — Expertvoice today announced the launch of a new site to champion the real life influencers whose passion, experience and knowledge make them the trusted source for recommendations about what to buy. Against a backdrop of pseudo-influencers with disengaged twitter followers and undisclosed blogger endorsements, Expertvoice’s community champions a more trusted, authentic approach to identifying and rewarding individuals whose real-world credentials make them highly influential face-to-face and online.

Expertvoice’s community, now available online and through the Expertvoice app, is designed specifically for individuals who can prove they have credentials that demonstrate expertise in their category. More than one million active experts are currently on the site, ranging from individuals that help consumers find what to buy in retail, turn their passions into full-time jobs in the industry, or are inspiring online storytellers. Expertvoice is designed for these category influencers to get connected with brands to receive insider content and product access that fuels their passion. It also provides experts a way to find other individuals who share their category passions, sharing experiences and product suggestions.

“We’ve all had that great experience where someone who’s passionate and knowledgeable inspired us find that perfect product. ” said Tom Stockham, CEO of Expertvoice. “These individuals have earned your trust because of where they work, what they know and what they own. Consumers and brands seek them out because ultimately, people trust people. Our industry and these individuals did not have a home before now. Expertvoice has incredibly ambitious plans to reward the individuals who do more, know more and are just more product obsessed than the average consumer.”

Over 750 consumer brands, including The North Face, Dyson and Quicksilver, are already working with Expertvoice to tap into this authentic group of real-life influencers who are driving what consumers purchase every day. Third party data from Keller Fay verified the impact these passionate experts have on steering consumer buying decisions: on average, Expertvoice members are having 22 times more conversations that involve product recommendations than any typical person, and 82 percent of those who received the recommendation from Expertvoice’s community report actually purchasing as a result.

Through Expertvoice, brands are not allowed to pay community members for product endorsements, which preserves the trusted connection between the members and their final recommendation to the consumer. Instead, brands can connect through insider content on their products or work with experts to co-create content for their latest campaigns, and make it easy for experts to get first-hand experience with their products.

With the launch comes a call from Expertvoice’s CEO to the industry to stop taking shortcuts to earn consumers’ trust. The rise of unclear native ads and undisclosed endorsements are merely compounding the issues that are leading to consumers choosing to use ad-blockers and seek ad-free social networks. It’s time for a world where passion is rewarded and recommendations are real.

Expertvoice can be accessed through the Expertvoice app for both Android and iOS devices, or at www.expertvoice.com.