Why B2B Brands Need to Invest in Influencer Marketing

Here’s something that might blow your mind: 

The global creator economy market is projected to reach $528.39 billion by 2033, while the global OTT video market is expected to exceed $476 billion by 2027.

If you’re thinking, “Wait. You’re telling me that influencers are part of an industry that large and are getting paid to recommend products and services?” 

Yes. They are. 

And while we don’t have an exact number on the size of the B2B influencer marketing segment just yet, it’s likely to be sizable too. 

You see, B2B brands have discovered how valuable influencer marketing can be for supporting awareness campaigns and sales cycles. If you’ve been watching this space from afar and trying to figure out if you should build your own B2B influencer marketing strategy, you’ll find what comes next invaluable. 

You’ll see research that shows how effective influencer marketing is for B2B brands. I also share practical steps you can take to build your influencer strategy. But first, let’s get clear on what B2B influencer marketing is and how it differs from its B2C sibling.

What is B2B influencer marketing?

Influence is a key element of the buying process. It acts as a form of validation for prospects considering a solution. B2B influencer marketing uses the influence of people who have established authority and credibility in a specific area to promote products or services to other businesses. 

Unlike the B2C world, B2B influencer marketing is more complex. It involves building relationships and winning over business decision-makers, industry professionals, and other companies. And all of this is important in the context of the typical B2B sale. 

From PPV platform solutions to enterprise software, B2B products and services usually have longer sales cycles, requiring more research, education, deliberation, and guidance before a deal is done. 

What does B2B influencer marketing look like?

B2B influencer marketing can take several forms. One of the most popular mediums today is video. Creators are tasked with developing unique and compelling ways to position themselves and the brands they promote. 

Like Vin Matano’s video for Magical, an AI-powered tool that automates data entry and workflow processes between any app and website. 

Vin shows how to save time creating proposals and answering common questions. 

What’s unique about Vin’s post is its niche appeal. Vin’s career started in sales. He used to be a Demandbase sales representative and built his personal brand on the side. What makes this post effective is a demo. 

It’s a showcase of how easily Magical gets the task done. And for busy salespeople, that’s a critical requirement. Less time spent on admin frees up more time to spend on actual selling.

Fun fact, on Instagram, Vin’s handle is “vinsellstech”.

Courtney Johnson, “Playbook for the future of e-commerce” for Bloomreach is a more in-depth, thought-leadership video. She identifies three challenges e-commerce brands are facing today, and how to address them. She wraps up her video with a take on why she thinks Bloomreach is a standout player that helps address these challenges.  

“What’s the biggest deal you’ve ever closed?” If you’re in sales, this is the kind of question you can’t help but wait with bated breath to hear answered. 

This one uses brand association (see the Demandbase logo). Demandbase is a B2B marketing and sales intelligence platform that helps companies identify, engage, and nurture potential customers by leveraging AI and data analytics. 

Vin Matano connected with salespeople at Demandbases’ NYC sales happy hour and you’ll be amazed at the size of deals attendees have booked!

Why does B2B influencer marketing work?

Trust, authority, and expertise are some of the more obvious reasons why B2B brands commit to B2B influencer marketing. But there are others, like these based on research by Ogilvy: 

Did you know that 90% of industry marketers believe that B2B Influencers on social media are an important source of staying up to date with their industry – with 57% citing them as their main source of information on a day-to-day basis?

Personalization is just as important. 92% of participants agree that using B2B Influencers for hyper-targeted marketing or personalized messaging is an effective strategy for increasing brand consideration and customer acquisition.

Expertise is a major determinant too. 55% of decision-makers are more receptive to business leaders when getting information and insights as it shows experience from others in their position. This is followed closely by practitioners (47%) and researchers (46%) – people with an educated and qualified point of view.

Here are nine more reasons why B2B influencer marketing is effective:

1. Relatability and authenticity  

Unlike traditional advertising, influencer marketing feels more organic and authentic. Influencers often speak the same language as their audience, addressing their pain points and challenges in a relatable way. Authenticity helps build a connection that traditional marketing tactics can’t easily achieve.

 2. Specialist insights and education  

B2B influencers are valued for their knowledge and insights, both of which can be validated by visiting an influencer’s professional profile and examining their work history and qualifications. 

In complex industries where buyers need detailed and reliable information to make decisions, influencers help educate the audiences. In-depth content such as webinars, whitepapers, and case studies, support the sales cycle, guiding potential buyers through the sales funnel.

 3. Access to niche audiences  

B2B influencers have established networks within specific industries or professional communities. Brands can access these networks, reaching highly targeted audiences that are otherwise difficult to access. This is particularly important in B2B marketing, where the focus is on quality over quantity in lead generation.

 4. Relationship building for longer sales cycles  

B2B purchases typically involve longer decision-making processes, with buyers seeking multiple touchpoints and extensive information. Influencers help nurture these relationships over time, providing ongoing value through consistent content and engagement that keeps the brand top-of-mind throughout the buyer’s journey.

 5. Enhanced content distribution  

B2B influencers can amplify content reach by sharing it with their followers. Amplification can lead to greater visibility and distribution across various channels. Any brand struggling with awareness can piggyback on a well-known and respected influencer to drive traffic to its website or landing pages.

6. Influence on decision-makers  

Influencers are often viewed as peers or mentors within their professional communities. Their opinions carry weight with senior decision-makers who rely on trusted sources for recommendations. This peer-to-peer influence can significantly sway purchasing decisions, especially when prospects are comparing solutions.

7. Enhanced SEO and digital presence  

Collaboration with influencers often includes backlinks, social media mentions, and co-created content that can boost a brand’s search engine visibility. Over time, these elements help improve a brand’s digital presence, helping it rank higher in search results, and making it easier for potential buyers to discover them.

8. Better ROI than traditional advertising 

On average, 40% of B2B marketers stated warmer leads and increased leads were the success factors they experienced when implementing an Influencer marketing strategy. B2B influencer marketing can be more cost-effective than traditional advertising, especially when considering the quality of leads generated.

Instead of spending heavily on expensive ads, you can invest in targeted content with influencers who directly engage the right audience.

9. Evolving with B2B buying behaviors  

B2B buyer interest and requirements shift, changing to address their business challenges which aren’t always obvious. They also seek information online, relying on peer recommendations. 

Influencers align with evolving trends, acting as trusted advisors in the digital landscape. They become trusted resources with persuasive pull over B2B buyers.

It’s clear. There’s little reason not to invest in B2B influencer marketing. But how do you do so without hurting your brand?

5 was to stack B2B influencer marketing odds in your favor

I’ve pulled together five core elements you’ll need to form the skeleton of your B2B influencer strategy. Together, these elements will help you find the best people to work with, and how to approach your goals and target market. 

Like anything you’ll do in marketing, research is a powerful tool for finding your way. Let’s start with finding people who mirror your values.

1. Align on values

B2B influencers must be vetted. As ambassadors for your brand, you need to be certain that they will show up in a way that aligns with your brand’s values and appeal to your market. 

The first phase of my two-phase approach to identifying the best influencers is screening. Here’s what to look for, positioned as a series of questions:

Credentials: 

• What are their positions?
• What experience do they have and why is it ideal for your brand?
• Optional: Have they achieved any unique accomplishments that add authority to their profile?

Reach: 

• Which platforms do they use?
• How large is their community?
• How much engagement does their content produce? (think likes, comments, shares .etc)

Content quality: 

• What formats and mediums do they produce content in?
• Is their message compelling?

Value alignment: 

• Do they behave like people you want to associate with your brand?
• Which values do they exude that are aligned with your brand?

Phase two is where you engage. You’re speaking to potential influencers and looking for: 

Long-term partnerships

Authenticity is a product of consistency. The way your influencers show up over time is what adds to their credibility and impact. You’ll have established whether your list is consistently producing great content. The conversation should touch on your brand goals and where influencers see themselves contributing to them.

A growth mindset

True partners want to learn as much as they can about the challenges your brand is facing and how they can help. You’re looking for people open to learning about your solutions and brand. For example, if you’re looking for an influencer to create a demo on how to create a video subscription website using your solution, a growth-focused collaborator should be asking questions about your platform, its features, USP, and more.

Natural Collaborators

Partner with influencers who can bring ideas to the table. Ideas they create are more authentic and more impactful. Collaboration also involves a willingness to listen to your feedback and adjust where needed. 

A word of caution: Authenticity is a major driving force behind the quality and effectiveness of influence content, while you can offer feedback, it should only ever be about the accuracy of information and less about delivery.

2. Understand your ICP 

It’s been said that B2B buyers have “split personalities.” They’re in it for the company and themselves. A win-win result is what they are after. 

Your ICP represents the ideal set of characteristics that define the companies most likely to gain value from your product or service. Understanding your ICP goes beyond demographics and firmographics. You need to understand the pain points, challenges, and goals of your target businesses.

Focusing on profiling, segmentation, and Job Theory can help you develop the level of insight you need:

• Detailed Profiling helps develop a clear picture of your ICP by identifying factors like decision-maker roles, company needs, pain points, business objectives, and buying triggers.
• Segmentation pulls on similarities, using ICP insights to categorize your audience into more refined groups that share similar jobs to be done, needs, or behavioral patterns. It also allows for more tailored and relevant content creation.
• Job Theory transforms your ICPs from typical target profiles into purpose-driven people searching for a product to perform a specific job. Focusing on the jobs customers need done aligns your targeting strategy directly with the target groups and their real-world challenges.

3. Plug the holes in your marketing strategy

It’s inevitable that your marketing strategy will have gaps that create “leaks” in your funnel. Your goal is to identify areas where you’re not delivering on what your ICP needs and where KPIs are not being met. 

Not generating enough awareness or qualified leads? Establish which KPIs are lagging and take a deeper dive into Job Theory.

Job Theory helps you focus on the functional, emotional, and social jobs your ICP needs to accomplish. It’s a shift in marketing focus. You’re no longer promoting product features but addressing the specific problems your customers are trying to solve.

Here’s how:

• Identify the Core Jobs: Determine what “jobs” your ICP needs to get done that your product or service can address. For instance, Magical, an automation and workflow software company might focus on helping businesses streamline workflows, improve collaboration, or enhance data security.
• Create Job-focused messaging: Build messaging that speaks directly to the jobs your ICP cares about. Emphasize how your solution helps them address their goals, like making progress, saving time, reducing costs, or overcoming a specific hurdle.
• Use content as a solution: Position your content as a valuable resource that helps ICPs accomplish their jobs. Every piece of content, be it a guide, webinar, or case study, should aim to educate, solve problems, and highlight how your product supports their goals. 

4. Be creative

Tell stories that aren’t being told in your space. The upside of working with influencers is that they see the market from a different angle. They are likely or have been users of your solutions or competitor products. 

Highlighting Jobs to be Done scenarios in your stories allows you to empathize with your audience, creating a closer bond between your brand, ICP, and how your product can solve their problems. 

Like Vin’s post for Magical, demonstrating your solution in action is a smart way to connect the dots between the value your solution offers and your ICP job to be Done. 

5. Go broad

Lastly, create a roster of influencers. Consider using influencers to product awareness, consideration, and decision content to match your buyer’s journey. More faces at different points of the buyer’s journey create more opportunities to capture attention, reinforce messaging, and be more relatable. 

Piggybacking is good for business

Ogilvy’s report showed that 43% of C-suite marketers saw increased sales and ROI. 47% realized greater brand awareness, too. Numbers like these have serious bottom line implications. 

They show that investing in a B2B influencer program can transform your competitive advantage, the way you reach a larger audience, and position your brand and solutions. 

Ready to get started? Give the five elements above a go. Test them out and make them your own. You may discover a new way to create powerful content that supercharges your brand’s growth.