Influencer marketing is the practice of collaborating with recognized experts or popular social-media users to drive brand awareness, engagement, and revenue. From viral tooth whitening products to the latest fitness gadgets, influencer marketing is a staple in the B2C marketplace. By partnering with industry influencers, brands can reach new audiences while deepening trust with existing ones.

Can B2B companies leverage influencer marketing, or is it strictly for consumer-facing organizations? According to a poll conducted by InvespCro, 94 percent of marketers believe influencer marketing is a successful strategy for B2B businesses. Nevertheless, only 24 percent of B2B businesses include influencer marketing in their marketing strategy. Despite its slower adoption, data shows that B2B influencer marketing works. Statistics from The Social Media Hat reveal that B2B organizations using influencer marketing in their marketing plans have seen an average ROI of $6.50 per $1 invested, and 78 percent of B2B marketers agree that it’s effective.

Companies like Adobe, IBM, SAP, and American Express are examples of B2B organizations that leverage brand ambassador programs. Meanwhile, niche brands such as Bosch Power Tools, HubSpot, and Flock Freight also recognize the potential impact of influencers.

Why Influencer Marketing Works for B2B Businesses

There are several factors driving the evolution of influencer marketing in B2B sectors:

• The Growing Significance of Trust

  In B2B markets, trust is paramount. Businesses are making high-value decisions that impact their operations and profitability. Traditional advertising often lacks the credibility needed to influence such decisions. Influencers—industry experts, thought leaders, and respected figures whose opinions hold weight in their fields—can bridge this gap.

• The Shift to Digital Marketing

  The digital transformation has accelerated the adoption of influencer marketing in B2C and B2B sectors. Social media platforms, industry blogs, and webinars have become essential channels for influencers to share insights and recommendations, making it easier for businesses to connect with their target audiences.

• Content Overload

  With a deluge of content available online, B2B marketers struggle to cut through the noise. Influencers provide a solution by delivering curated, relevant content to a highly targeted audience, enhancing the visibility and impact of marketing messages.

• Elongated Sales Cycle

  B2B purchases typically involve multiple stakeholders and a long sales cycle. By leveraging the authority of influencers, businesses can more effectively highlight value propositions, address customer pain points, and facilitate faster decision-making.

Seven Tips for Influencer Marketing Success

The world of B2B influencers provides exciting opportunities for marketers willing to identify and nurture the right relationships. By partnering creatively with industry experts, brands can tap into new audiences and drive measurable impact across the organization. Here are seven tips for B2B brands looking to tap into the world of influencer marketing:

1. Identify and vet influencers.

Use a combination of quantitative metrics (e.g., industry, social media following, engagement rates) and qualitative factors (e.g., content quality and industry reputation) to create a list of potential influencers. Social media platforms, LinkedIn, industry forums, and influencer platforms can aid in this process. Be sure potential partners align with your brand values and have an impact on your target audiences. Chosen influencers should have a positive professional reputation and command respect within their industry.

2. Establish clear objectives.

When partnering with an influencer, it’s vital to establish goals and expectations upfront. Common objectives include driving brand awareness, increasing user-generated content, generating leads, supporting sales efforts, encouraging positive reviews, and boosting social proof. In addition to developing goals for the program, ensure influencers understand their role in the partnership. Clearly define parameters for the relationship including frequency of posting, styles of content, and other factors that will ensure a successful working relationship.

3. Foster authentic relationships.

Think of influencers as partners rather than merely promoters. Provide them with valuable insights, access to exclusive content, support, and opportunities for collaboration that benefit all parties.

4. Get creative with content.

Collaborate with influencers to create valuable, relevant, and informative content that is aligned with target audiences’ needs and interests. Diversify mediums across thought leadership articles, case studies, how-to videos, webinars, and podcasts. While it’s vital to ensure that content is relevant to your target market, don’t try to control the content. Provide influencers with creative flexibility to do what they do best.

5. Don’t forget employees.

Your employees are some of your most valuable brand ambassadors. After all, who knows your company, products, and values better than the people who live them daily? Empowering employees to share content and engage with your brand on social media can be a powerful (and cost-effective) influencer strategy. Consider offering incentives and rewards for employees to act as brand ambassadors for your organization.

 6. Measure results.

Tracking results is critical to a successful B2B influencer marketing campaign. By measuring how influencer content impacts key metrics, marketers can clearly understand what’s working and what’s not. With the right metrics in place, marketers can make data-driven decisions to refine influencer outreach, content creation, and other vital factors. Use tracking links, campaign-specific tags, and listening tools to gauge the impact of influencer content on site traffic, leads, and sales. Remember to continuously optimize campaigns based on the data you uncover.

 7. Compensate fairly.

Influencer partnerships aren’t free. Be prepared to pay influencers for sponsored posts and content creation. When it comes to pay rates, every influencer is different. Micro-influencers may be happy with a free product or service or commission-based affiliate sales. More prominent influencers often charge fees ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per sponsored post. It may be necessary to shift your budget to accommodate influencer marketing fees, but the ROI will be worth it.

So, You Want to Be an Influencer?

While B2B marketing may not have the glitz and glamour of consumer-facing campaigns, the power of influencer marketing is just as relevant. Partnering with the right influencers in the B2B space can lead to enhanced brand visibility, credibility, and, ultimately, increased business growth.

For individuals seeking affiliate relationships with B2B brands, it’s important to understand that being an influencer is hard work. Developing a powerful personal brand, building your expertise, and creating valuable content are critical to becoming a well-established influencer. To maximize your influence in your marketplace, start by posting on social media, blogging, seeking speaking engagements, and, of course, networking. The path to becoming a top B2B influencer requires effort, but the personal brand awareness and career growth you can achieve make the hard work well worth it. Want to learn more about how to leverage your thought leadership in your industry? Reach out and schedule a call with one of our experts.