Influencer marketing is everywhere. You see it in your social feeds. You hear about it in meetings at work. It’s time to leverage it for your brand.
Not familiar with influencer marketing? It’s when brands partner with online creators to promote products and services. With a huge range of influencers online, it’s a great way to get brands in front of their target audiences.
The rise of micro-influencers has been a game changer for B2B and smaller brands. These aren’t the users with millions of followers. Just about anyone with authority and a dedicated following within your market could be a micro-influencer partner. They don’t need to be celebrities. They only need to have the trust of their community.
Why does influencer marketing work?
B2B influencer marketing has seen significant growth in recent years, reflected by its increasing importance in business strategies. In 2024, 71% of B2B influencers planned to speak at in-person events, while 67% aimed to co-create content with brands.1 It’s simple: People trust people. Research shows consumers are far more likely to trust a recommendation from someone they follow than a brand’s messaging. Leveraging influencers taps into this trust, aligning your brand with voices your audience already values.
This strategy doesn’t just build trust. It boosts your credibility. Associating with trusted voices positions your company as innovative and authentic within your industry.
Who should use influencer marketing?
While B2C brands have long been the main players in influencer marketing, B2B brands are catching on, too. Previously, B2B brands have leveraged case studies and third-party research to connect with potential customers. Now, they can take their strategy further and tap into industry experts to build trust and influence purchasing decisions.
How does influencer marketing work for B2B?
There are several ways to get influencers to help elevate your brand:
Product partnerships: Product partnerships involve sending influencers your products for free, while paid collaborations are about compensating them for content. Free product partnerships often work well for things like product reviews, demos, tutorials or real-life usage stories. And interestingly, 86% of influencers say they’ll promote a product for free if they trust the brand or if it’s a high-ticket item.1
Affiliate marketing: In the eCommerce space, affiliate marketing is a performance-based model where influencers receive a commission for driving sales. Think Amazon Partners or similar platforms where influencers help boost revenue.
Event-based influencer marketing: Influencer marketing isn’t just for Instagram and TikTok — it can also be leveraged for events and trade shows. Imagine influencers in co-branded apparel promoting your products or hosting giveaways to boost engagement. Sponsorships can further enhance brand visibility in a natural, authentic way. These opportunities extend your reach beyond digital channels while building deeper connections with potential customers through in-person experiences that leave a lasting impact.
5 strategies for success
Influencer marketing can fall flat if you’re not strategic and thoughtful in your partnership approach. To ensure success, follow these key principles for a sound and effective strategy:
1. Let them be authentic.
Influencers know their audience best. The more relatable the content, the more it will resonate with the target audience. Don’t ask influencers to parrot your talking points. Let them create their content in their style.
2. Think long-term.
One-off collaborations can be effective, but long-term partnerships are where the magic happens. Influencers prefer consistent collaborations that foster a deeper connection with their audience, resulting in more meaningful results.
3. Use specific contracts.
Always have a clear contract in place outlining deliverables, timelines, and usage rights.
4. Define usage rights.
Be clear about how you’ll use the content they create — whether that’s in your newsletters, website or ads. Also, think about exclusivity to protect your brand. By offering exclusive partnerships or product lines with influencers, you can create a sense of scarcity and value, ensuring that your brand stands out in a crowded marketplace. Exclusivity, which prevents influencers from partnering with competitors or similar products, can also help foster long-term, loyal relationships.
5. Vet your influencers.
Influencer marketing carries some risk, particularly when it comes to your reputation. An influencer could harm your brand if they get involved in controversy. That said, the rewards can outweigh the risks if you’re smart about vetting influencers. Ensure the influencer aligns with your brand values and audience and always have a clear contract in place outlining deliverables, timelines and usage rights.
How do you measure influencer marketing success?
Influencer marketing isn’t just about direct sales (especially for B2B brands). Some key metrics to measure the success of influencer marketing include:
- Website traffic. Is your traffic spiking after an influencer post? This may be from a direct link from the influencer, additional traffic from organic search or your own social channels that are tagged in the post.
- Engagement. What was post reach like? How many likes, comments and shares did the post get?
- Brand awareness. This is the goal of influencer marketing — getting your brand in front of more people to create lasting impressions and expand your reach.
Influencer marketing works best when you focus on long-term brand growth, not just immediate sales. If you measure success by engagement and awareness, you’ll see the true value this strategy can bring to your business.
Start building those influencer partnerships now! Contact us here to get started.
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