Can B2B Marketers take advantage of influencer marketing?  

You’ve seen it a million times. An Instagram star flaunting the greens that just completely changed their lives and bettered their health. Or the YouTuber with a large following reviewing the latest gadgets.  

Influencers are seeped into our culture whether we like it or not.  

And while influencer marketing has long been associated with consumer brands, recently, it seems, B2B marketing has also recognized the potential of influencer collaborations to drive brand awareness, credibility and ultimately, conversions.  

While the approach may differ from its B2C counterpart, B2B marketers are increasingly taking advantage of the power of influencers to reach and engage their target audience effectively.  

Here’s how you can, too. 

Understanding B2B influencer marketing 

First things first, you’ve got to conceptualize how an influencer can help your business attract other businesses.  

In B2B influencer marketing, the focus shifts from individual consumers to businesses and decision-makers within those organizations (but you already know this!)  

Rather than aiming for mass appeal, B2B marketers need to identify niche influencers whose expertise aligns with their industry and target market. These influencers could be industry analysts, thought leaders, consultants or even executives from relevant companies. 

Take, for example, Shopify, which partnered with popular productivity YouTuber Ali Abdaal. They sponsored one of his videos in which he talked about how Shopify helped him build his business as a content creator.  

Your influencers don’t need to be huge names. They just need to be able to spread the word of your company effectively. 

So, you want to be a Thought Leader 

One of the biggest goals of B2B influencer marketing is to establish thought leadership and credibility within a specific industry or niche. By partnering with respected influencers, B2B brands can leverage their expertise and authority to enhance their own reputation.  

When influencers endorse a product or service or share valuable insights, it adds credibility and authenticity to the brand’s message.  

This is why you want to make sure to vet the influencers you work with before bringing them on board. Do your due diligence!  

Hitting the nail on the head 

To use influencer marketing correctly as a B2B brand, it’s really about quality over quantity.  

Because B2B audiences are oftentimes more niche than B2C, it’s super important to reach the right audience with the right message.  

Influencers can help B2B brands connect with their target market more effectively by leveraging their existing networks and followership. Through strategic collaborations, B2B marketers can tap into the influencer’s audience, which often comprises professionals and decision-makers who are actively seeking industry-related content and solutions. 

Humanizing the brand 

Similarly, because B2B marketing often involves complex products or services with lengthy sales cycles, influencer marketing offers an opportunity to humanize the brand and make it more relatable to the audience.  

B2B marketers can create a more personal connection with their target market by associating the brand with knowledgeable and trustworthy personalities, making their offerings more approachable and engaging. 

And really, at the end of the day, if you can bring an SaaS product to life, you can do anything.   

Drive that engagement and garner that data 

While B2B sales cycles may be longer than those in the B2C space, influencer marketing can still play a significant role in driving engagement and generating leads. It can also help you capture the attention of potential customers and nurture them through the sales funnel.  

Consider collaborating with your influencer on website content, webinars or even industry events.  

Cut to the chase

And when all is said and done, B2B marketers can track key performance indicators such as website traffic, lead generation, brand mentions and social media engagement to gauge the effectiveness of their influencer collaborations.  

If it seems to be working, great. If not, don’t be afraid to pivot. Because consumers are smart, and if you end up with a “cringey” influencer partnership, your customers will be quick to flee.