One of the most significant strategic shifts in modern marketing has been the rise of influencer marketing. This tactic is often associated with consumer brands, but it’s making headway in the B2B sector.
The marketing power of influencers lies in their ability to build trust, enhance brand credibility and drive engagement among a highly targeted audience.
In this blog, I discuss the landscape of B2B influencer marketing, the benefits of influencers in B2B marketing strategy, and a few tips for incorporating these practices into your business.
What Makes an Influencer?
A person is considered an “influencer” if they have a sizable social media following and can shape the behaviors of their followers. In B2C marketing, brands partner with influencers to gain exposure to the influencer’s followers and convert that audience into consumers. Influencer marketing is done well when the brand and the individual have clear shared interests and values.
In the B2B space, influencers are individuals with established authority and credibility in specific industries or niche sectors. They are recognized for their expertise, thought leadership, social media following and ability to influence others’ opinions and decisions. Characteristics that typically classify someone as a B2B influencer include:
Why Influencers Are Becoming More Important in B2B Marcom Strategies
Shifts in trust dynamics and engagement, evolving decision-maker roles, market saturation are all increasing the sway of influences in B2B marketing and communication strategies. B2B buyers are increasingly seeking authentic and trustworthy sources of information. Influencers with established credibility provide a level of trust and quality that traditional channels lack. Modern buyers also conduct extensive research, and influencers can impact this buyer research with their recommendations.
The B2B landscape, especially in enterprise technology, is flooded with content. Influencers can help cut through the noise by offering high-quality, relevant material directly to decision makers through established audiences.
Even in B2B settings, influencers have highly engaged followers. These include past colleagues, clients and other IT decision makers, people who often fall within a business’s target audience. Collaborating with influencers on content development and thought leadership opportunities can enhance engagement and interaction, increasing exposure and credibility for the partnering business.
How to Identify the Right Influencers
Identifying the right influencers involves a strategic approach based on a company’s objectives and industry. As with any strategic partnership, clear objectives are important. Below are three tips to identify influencers.
The best influencer collaborations occur when the themes and audiences of both parties are clearly aligned. I love seeing B2C marketing campaigns of brands I already follow and consume.
Ideas for Collaborating with Influencers
Many marketers write off influencer relations because of the assumed associated costs. However, B2B influencer collaboration goes beyond paid partnerships. There are ways to engage and collaborate with B2B influencers in unpaid campaigns that deliver value for both parties.
Incorporating influencers into B2B marketing strategies builds trust, enhances quality and drives engagement for brands. Co-creating content with influencers can help companies gain a competitive edge by delivering highly relevant and engaging material to specific and broader audiences. The ability to select and collaborate with the right influencers fosters meaningful connections that will help build long-term trust and success.
Tags: Influencer, Influencer Engagement, PR, Public relations Filed under: Media, PR trends, PUBLIC RELATIONS