Can B2B brands use influencer marketing too?

Influencer marketing was once the realm of B2C brands, but it has been seeing increased adoption among B2B brands. But is influencer marketing really effective for B2B brands? Ninety-six percent of those surveyed in a TopRank Marketing study would say so. In fact, 84% are already using influencer marketing to generate brand awareness.

Now let’s take a look at how B2B brands can successfully work with influencers for their next marketing campaign.

Keys to successful B2B influencer marketing

Even when working with B2B influencers, the same key elements of B2C influencer marketing campaigns apply to ensure success. The following elements are what make a successful B2B influencer marketing campaign:

- A specific goal to work toward and shape the campaign
- People who have influence in your target market
- Honest and relevant content that can resonate with the audience
- Campaign tracking to see how much return you’re getting on your investment

How to find relevant influencers for your industry

When trying to reach a B2B audience, working with highly relevant people who have authority in your industry is critical. Think Rand Fishkin in SEO or Seth Godin in marketing. Note that you don’t necessarily have to partner with mega-influential personalities like Rand or Seth if your brand doesn’t have the budget for it. Influencers with smaller audiences can be effective, as long as their audience is engaged.

Relevance in your industry alone may not be enough in the case of B2B influencers. Instead, you need someone who has influence over the specific audience you want to reach. For example, not all marketing agencies may follow Seth but they may be huge fans of more niche influencers with a smaller following.

So rather than relying on tools that let you find influencers based on industry, consider using social listening platforms that analyse your target audience profiles and then show you which influencers they follow in common. Platforms like Audiense and YouScan are ideal for this as they help you identify the influential accounts leading conversations that engage your target audience.

This allows you to get highly specific with your influencer search and narrow down the people who can actually influence the users you want to reach with your campaign.

3 B2B influencer marketing examples for inspiration

Cisco

Cisco launched the Cisco Champions program, which allows them to turn advocates into influential partners. The program is open to customers, consultants, and partners alike as long as they’re Cisco enthusiasts. This enables the company to partner with influencers who genuinely support their products, making the endorsements more authentic.

The company encourages its Champions to actively engage in conversations related not just to Cisco but the IT industry as a whole. They also provide Champions with the exclusive opportunity to participate in beta tests and provide feedback, backstage tours, and chat rooms.

Woohoo!! Great news to have been selected as Cisco Champion 2021. I'm truly honored to be joining this club for the first time. I actually received the email just as I was reaching the highest point in the UK -but I felt over the moon!! TY @CiscoChampion #CiscoChampions #Cisco pic.twitter.com/2Ng3bwngB1

— Cloud_Chris (@Null0_Route) August 27, 2021

General Electric (GE)

GE has been a leader in B2B marketing, using social media to spread awareness and drive engagement. The company has also led the way in B2B influencer marketing with various campaigns that involve influential personalities and brands.

For the first 3D Printing Day, GE partnered with 10 influencers who worked with CAD artists to create several 3D-printed holiday gifts. They then gave away customized gifts to lucky fans using the hashtag #3DPrintMyGift. GE has also worked with Tapestry to create an interactive slideshow for users and with Dots to create a new game more for #GravityDay.

Rad RT @PauOgDepp: #GravityDay @generalelectric @playdots gravity mode 👍 pic.twitter.com/HV5LbLnq4o

— Dots (@dots) September 11, 2013

American Express

For American Express, their influencer marketing campaigns have mostly revolved around people who can authentically advocate for their brand. In the B2B context, that means real users of their American Express Business products.

The company runs an always-on campaign where they share real stories of business owners. For example, to observe Small Business Saturday, they shared the experiences of small business owners. And recently, they also did an interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is a small business owner as well as a songwriter and director.

Songwriter, Director, Small Business Owner and #AmexAmbassador @Lin_Manuel and Amex Chairman & CEO Steve Squeri discuss the small businesses they are thankful for, and why it’s a critical time to #ShopSmall. Click the link to watch the full interview: https://t.co/KX7lMRIHsi pic.twitter.com/rGKVToJt9e

— American Express (@AmericanExpress) November 25, 2021

Leverage influencer marketing for your B2B brand

Influencer marketing is not just for B2C brands; your B2B company could benefit from it too. It’s all about partnering with the right influencers and executing authentic campaigns that can resonate with the people you want to reach.

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