Every time the word “influencer” is mentioned, we probably think of a food blogger or a fashion influencer with millions of followers on Instagram reviewing cafes or products , giving shout outs and organizing giveaways. Now you must think that influencer marketing only works in the B2C arena but to your surprise, it can be a highly effective marketing tool used in the B2B space as well. B2B influencer marketing can be challenging in terms of finding the right influencer, the correct means and ways to communicate with your target audience,their content, the relevance of it with your products and services and the expected results but if you are able to formulate an effective influencer marketing campaign, it can do wonders for your brand. 

So who should you approach for influencer marketing in the B2B space? What kind of platforms should you use? What kind of content should be created? What should be the expected results? Let’s find out. 

In the B2B space, influencers are usually industry experts, analysts, opinion leaders or other customers of a particular brand. These influencers have gained a reputation over time through their experience, intelligence, expertise in the industry. These experts enjoy high popularity and people trust their opinions and suggestions without giving it a second thought. 

However, a brand can also appoint its own employee as an influencer or representative on social platforms. The cons of this may be that the internal representative might take time in gaining popularity and followers but he/she can prove to be a highly reliable source of information for your customers.

The next question that arises is- Where to deliver content? 

There are various platforms, as we know, that may be used to carry out your brand’s influencer marketing campaigns. One should assess where their audience spends the most amount of time while making a purchase, what platforms have the potential to influence the customer’s decision, which platforms play a big role in the buying process and decision of your customer. After all these assessments, you can make the right choice of which platform is the most suitable for your influencer marketing campaign. Most channels like YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Ads etc., are more suitable for B2B campaigns. However, other platforms may also work in your brand’s favour if treated with suitable content. 

A high degree of credibility is essential when making the content therefore extra focus should be paid to the background of the influencer, the research is done on the topic, the ways of presentation and the way it is consumed by the audience. The quality of reach is another important factor that should be considered as that determines the ultimate results that the campaign will provide. 

It is essential to measure the degree of closeness and interaction between the influencer and the audience. An influencer can only successfully drive sales if he/she is highly sought by their followers. So you’d much rather pick an influencer with 10k followers and a high engagement rate than an influencer with 1M followers but a low engagement rate. 

There are various other factors that come into play when working on an influencer marketing plan for the B2B space apart from these primary factors which you must take care of. To know more about a comprehensive B2B influencer marketing strategy, stay tuned.