B2B Influencer Marketing: Why It Works

Today’s corporate decision makers are more savvy, selective and demanding than ever before. With that in mind, B2B marketers need to explore additional tactics, like B2B influencer marketing, to reach their target audiences and hit their goals.

With 50% of B2B decision makers relying on industry thought leaders and influencers to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in their field, B2B influencers have already proven to be successful for brands like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Okta. In fact, 86% of B2B brands consider their influencer marketing initiatives to be successful!

So, what is B2B influencer marketing and why should you use it?

What Is B2B Influencer Marketing?

B2B influencer marketing is when a business leverages online content creators to help promote its product or service to another business. 

What Are Its Benefits?

B2B influencer marketing aims to:

• Increase brand awareness and add credibility 
• Increase lead generation and sales 
• Educate audiences and drive thought leadership

Who are B2B Influencers?

B2B influencers must have deep industry knowledge, authenticity, a certain impressive expertise in your industry and a strong reputation to influence key stakeholders (think: executives, thought leaders and employees). 

Where Are They Posting?

Primary platforms include LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. These platforms naturally reach higher numbers of business professionals and decision makers, and lend themselves to content such as webinars, thought leadership blogs and employee advocacy. But don’t discredit Instagram, TikTok or Facebook! Those platforms help brands reach unique audiences outside the typical business communities.  

Why Use it?

B2B decision makers typically start the buying process by reading reviews, checking specifications, and Googling for more information. They also search among colleagues and draw ideas from their network. B2B influencers can influence key decision makers through sponsored content that raises brand profiles, enhances reputations, generates new leads and increases revenue.

We recently hosted a webinar on this topic and would be happy to share additional insights. Please feel free to email us at [email protected] and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest industry news and happenings.

Written By: Leigh Poellmann, Associate Director of Influencer Marketing