Influencer Marketing Strategy for B2B Brands: The Complete Guide

Influencer marketing is a widespread tactic for B2C companies.

B2B brands are also starting to increasingly leverage influencers. According to Ogilvy, 75% of decision-makers plan to implement a B2B influencer campaign.

It’s best to hop on this train before it’s too late.

This article delves into the intricacies of crafting and executing a successful B2B influencer marketing strategy using our agency’s experience. We’ll discuss:

• A 5-step plan from goal setting to navigating platform-specific strategies
• One of our agency’s B2B case studies and plenty of insider tips
• Common challenges and how to overcome them.

Let’s dive in.

TL;DR:

• B2B Influencer Marketing Adoption: 75% of decision-makers plan to implement B2B influencer campaigns, signaling its growing importance.
• 5-Step Plan Overview: From goal setting to navigating platform-specific strategies, offering a comprehensive approach to influencer marketing in the B2B space.
• B2B vs. B2C Differences: Emphasizes the unique aspects of B2B influencer marketing, focusing on trust, professional networks, and quality content to facilitate informed decisions among industry decision-makers.
• Benefits Highlighted: Significant advantages include increased brand visibility, credibility, lead generation, and sales, backed by data showing influencer campaigns outperform brand-only marketing.
• Case Study – Miro: Demonstrates how Miro successfully used influencer marketing to promote its user-created template library, Miroverse, leading to increased traffic and user engagement.
• Goal Setting and Influencer Selection: Stresses the importance of aligning influencer goals with business objectives and using tools and strategies for finding the right influencers.
• Content Strategy: Advises on collaborating with influencers for content creation, diversifying content formats, and measuring success through KPIs to optimize strategy.
• Platform-Specific Strategies: Offers guidance on tailoring content and engagement strategies to platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, capitalizing on their unique strengths.
• Influencer Relationship Management: Recommends best practices for building lasting relationships through transparency, respect for expertise, regular communication, and clear logistical arrangements.
• Measuring Success and ROI: Discusses using analytics tools, social listening platforms, and influencer-specific metrics to measure campaign effectiveness and address challenges like finding the right influencers and measuring ROI.
• Challenges and Solutions: Identifies common challenges in B2B influencer marketing, such as finding relevant influencers and quantifying ROI, suggesting solutions like using influencer discovery platforms and campaign management tools.

Understanding the B2B Context

Side rant: Our ontological vision of reality is this: if you want to use an object correctly, you must first understand what the object is and its main purpose.

This view informs our data-driven strategies and helps us get these types of results for B2B influencer marketing:

It’s easy if you understand that B2B influencer marketing transcends the conventional scope of celebrity endorsement, pivoting towards a strategy that involves collaboration with B2B influencers.

Insider tip: To leverage influencers as part of your B2B marketing plan, you must clearly understand the differences between B2B and B2C influencer marketing.

• Your target audience: Your audience comprises corporate buyers and decision-makers within the industry. As such, you need influencers these people can trust, such as distinguished industry experts with established authority and networks.
• Your goals: Unlike B2C influencer marketing, where broad appeal and consumer engagement are key, B2B influencer marketing aims to create genuine connections and foster trust. The ultimate goal is to facilitate informed decisions among a professional network.
• Your content: In the B2B space, content is meticulously tailored to articulate value propositions, showcasing how your B2B products or services can solve industry-specific problems. This content strategy nurtures high-quality leads where the emphasis is on quality over quantity. As a result, the traffic generated is more likely to convert into tangible B2B sales.

We’ve noticed many benefits of leveraging industry influencers within the B2B domain:

These people have solid expertise and a good follower base, which likely includes potential customers. Therefore, partnering with influencers who resonate with your B2B audience amplifies your brand visibility, establishes credibility, and, most importantly, skyrockets lead generation.

Ogilvy has clearer numbers:

• 67% of B2B marketers report that influencer campaigns outperform brand-only marketing, with 77% anticipating influencer marketing continuing to outperform.
• Only 1% experienced worse performance with influencer campaigns than their brand content.
• 49% of C-Suite marketers recognize that influencers grant the brand more credibility than it could achieve independently.
• 36% of brand/product teams found that working with influencers yielded valuable expert feedback, enhancing their products or business.
• 92% agree that B2B influencers are effective for hyper-targeted marketing or personalized messaging, which is crucial for brand consideration and customer acquisition.
• Nearly half, 48%, believe in the unique, authentic two-way communication influencers can establish with customers, which cannot be matched directly by the brand itself.

Miro Case Study: The Revelation

Miro is a remote team collaboration tool, basically selling B2B SaaS solutions. Traditionally, this B2B business would get most of its clients through SEO, networking, and ads.

However, Miro understood that including influencers in their social media strategy could expand their reach. More importantly, this broader audience is composed of potential customers – maybe not all of them are marketing-qualified leads, but most are high-quality traffic.

1. Setting Goals and Identifying the Right Influencers

You can’t find the right influencers unless you have the right goals.

1.1. Setting Your Goals

If you’re a B2B marketer, we advise you to align your influencer goals with your overarching business objectives.

That’s the cornerstone of a successful influencer marketing campaign.

This strategic alignment ensures that every aspect of your influencer partnership contributes directly to your B2B company’s broader goals, such as customer acquisition, customer loyalty, and, ultimately, an uptick in B2B sales.

Side note: Our years in business showed us that many marketing professionals don’t define clear key performance indicators (KPIs) that resonate with their business’s ambitions.

That’s a mistake.

Precision in goal-setting and KPIs streamlines your influencer strategy and helps you gauge the campaign’s effectiveness against the set objectives.

KPIs for different goals include:

• Brand visibility: Measure the impact on brand visibility through metrics such as reach, impressions, and the frequency of mentions within relevant industry conversations.
• Lead generation: Focus on metrics like click-through rate (CTR), lead quality, and the conversion rate from influencer-driven traffic. These KPIs can help assess how effectively the influencer content is driving potential customers to take action.
• Sales: Ultimately, the success of influencer campaigns in a B2B context often boils down to their impact on sales. Metrics such as sales conversion rates, the average deal size, and the time to close can provide valuable insights into how influencer efforts contribute to the bottom line.

Miro Case Study: The Goals

Miro wanted to grow its user base on Miroverse, their library of templates created by users.

This library is a treasure trove of templates that other businesses can use, so it meets two purposes:

• It helps Miro’s prospective customers.
• It highlights Miro’s functionality.

Obviously, they wanted more traffic to this valuable tool.

And influencer marketing was the best way to promote relevant templates, made directly by the creators themselves, specifically designed with the needs of their audiences in mind.

1.2. Identifying and Selecting the Right Influencers

Your B2B influencer marketing success hinges on selecting the right influencers.

Here’s what you can use:

• Specialized influencer discovery platforms such as inBeat.co: This free tool offers a treasure trove of industry experts and micro-influencers whose professional network and content resonate with your target audience. Using the correct keywords and filters, you can easily find hundreds of influencers in seconds. Then, the platform allows you to compare their engagement rates, follower counts, and other metrics to shortlist the best creators.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is great because that’s where industry experts post and network with their peers. You can easily find the right niche creators using relevant keywords for your niche, but you need additional tools to compare their engagement metrics. While LinkedIn itself does not publicly display emails (or makes them visible only to direct connections), you can still use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to get the emails of potential influencers you want to contact.
• Existing social connections: You can ask your professional network or engage with specialized communities on social media channels. Specialized Facebook groups, for example, can help you uncover influential individuals who’ve built authentic connections with their audiences through meaningful content.

Social Listening for Influencer Discovery

Social listening is a pivotal tool in the influencer discovery process because it lets you tap into the pulse of industry conversations and identify influential voices driving those discussions.

You’ll have to monitor key topics, industry trends, and brand mentions across social media channels to:

• Pinpoint thought leaders who are actively contributing to relevant conversations
• Understand the topics and issues that resonate most with your B2B audience

Miro Case Study: Influencer Discovery

We manually searched for people with a voice in the spaces we needed to target, using a mix of social listening, our outreach team’s prowess, and our professional network.

Our influencers include LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok creators who are relevant opinion leaders in the space of Agile, Product Management & Diagramming.

That way, they could understand Miro’s challenges as a B2B company and address its B2B buyers from an expert position. These specialists could also design useful templates for the Miroverse.

That’s how we found product management expert Shyvee Shi, who is currently Product Lead at LinkedIn:

Blockchain and smart contract developer Nazariy Dumanskyy is another example:

2. Crafting a Compelling B2B Influencer Marketing Strategy

2.1. Our 3-Step Process

Here’s our game plan after you’ve done your initial research to understand your target market and identify relevant influencers.

• Collaborate on content ideas: Work closely with influencers to brainstorm content ideas that leverage their strengths and align with your marketing goals. This collaboration should focus on creating value for the audience rather than just promoting your products or services.
• Diversify content formats: Encourage influencers to produce various content types to keep the audience engaged and cater to different preferences within your B2B audience. Consider the following content types:
  1. Video content: Influencers can create how-to videos, product reviews, or behind-the-scenes looks at your industry, offering a dynamic way to showcase your B2B products or services.
  2. LinkedIn posts: Given its professional context, LinkedIn is an ideal platform for sharing industry insights, thought leadership articles, and company updates, making it a powerful tool for engaging with a B2B audience. To enhance your strategy, consider using LinkedIn hook templates that capture attention and encourage interaction.
  3. Educational webinars: Collaborate with influencers to host webinars that address key industry issues, provide valuable insights, and offer educational content.
  4. Guest blogging: Inviting influencers to contribute to your blog or co-authoring articles for industry publications can enhance your brand’s credibility and reach a wider audience.
  5. Social media posts: Tailored posts on platforms relevant to your target market can increase engagement and brand visibility. Ensure these posts offer genuine value by sharing industry trends, insights, or actionable tips.
  6. White papers: Let your influencers showcase how your B2B products address your target market’s challenge. , thereby enhancing the conversion rate through educational content and valuable insights.
• Measure and optimize: Utilize key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of your influencer campaigns. Analyze metrics such as engagement rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate to understand what works best and refine your strategy accordingly.

Miro Case Study: The Strategy

Our strategy was to have influencers produce relevant templates for their B2B audiences and then create relevant content on different social media platforms about those tools.

We had LinkedIn posts:

Instagram posts:

Newsletters:

And this is one such amazing template created by Instagram micro-influencer Alec Fullmer:

2.2. B2B Influencer Strategy Examples

Our Miro case study is just one example. You can also look at larger brands to learn from their strategies:

Adobe and #AdobeInsiders

Adobe’s #AdobeInsiders successful B2B influencer marketing efforts started from assembling niche experts from diverse sectors.

These industry influencers shared their unique perspectives and insights on Adobe’s suite of tools.

Pro tip: The collaboration extends beyond mere product promotion, encompassing participation in Adobe’s marquee events, contribution to Adobe’s digital influencer content through blog posts, and active engagement across social media platforms.

Like so:

Much like our Miro campaign, this strategy:

• Enhances Adobe’s visibility.
• Underscores the practical utility and innovation of Adobe’s solutions.
• Fosters meaningful connections within the professional community.

LinkedIn and B2B Influencer Partnerships

LinkedIn, the quintessential professional network, exemplifies the impact of strategic influencer partnerships in the B2B domain. LinkedIn collaborates with B2B influencers who are thought leaders in digital marketing, workplace culture, and diversity. These experts magnify LinkedIn’s role as a pivotal hub for professional insights and discussions.

HubSpot and Content Collaboration

HubSpot’s approach to influencer marketing emphasizes the importance of co-creating content that educates and engages. Basically, Hubspot partnered with influencers who are recognized authorities in marketing and sales. Then, they crafted educational content that:

• Highlights Hubspot products to a wider audience.
• Offers Hubspot’s potential customers strategies and insights that can transform their marketing efforts.

Collaborations for webinars, guest blogging, and social media posts allow HubSpot to tap into the influencers’ credibility. The result is enhancing its own authority and fostering trust among potential B2B customers.

That brings us to the next point:

2.3. Showcasing Value Through Influencer Experiences

At inBeat Agency, we realize that while B2B buyers are decision-makers in their companies, they’re regular people, too.

That means they rely on customer reviews.

Remember: That’s why your B2B influencers should showcase your B2B products through the lens of their experiences.

This approach:

• Helps you zero in on the right potential influencers with experience with your products.
• Provides influencers with a relatable and compelling narrative.
• Helps you illustrate the real-world impact of their solutions, driving higher conversion rates and informed decisions.

And if you paid attention, that’s what Miro and the other companies we discussed above are doing.

Get the most out of influencer marketing with our influencer-centric focus group agency

3. Platform-Specific Strategies

Each social media platform offers unique advantages and requires tailored content strategies. You can use a mix of these social channels throughout your B2B buying cycle to address a wider audience.

3.1. LinkedIn: The Professional Hub

LinkedIn is the primary professional network where B2B buyers and decision-makers congregate. This is where professionals share industry insights, white papers, and in-depth articles catering to corporate buyers’ informational needs.

Influencers on LinkedIn can leverage features like articles, posts, and LinkedIn Live to discuss industry trends, offer valuable insights, and engage with a professional audience.

One of our Miro influencers created this post, which showcases the prevalence of educational content on LinkedIn:

3.2. Instagram: Visual Storytelling and Engagement

Insider tip: At inBeat, we value data. And the data shows that Instagram may work well in the business-to-business sector.

While Instagram may seem more aligned with B2C brands, its potential for B2B influencer marketing lies in visual storytelling and humanizing the brand. Instagram can be particularly effective for showcasing company culture, behind-the-scenes content, and product demos in a more relatable light.

Plus, influencers can leverage many content formats from Instagram Stories, posts, and Reels to share their experiences with your B2B products or services.

Like Preksha Kaparwan did for Miro:

3.3. YouTube: In-Depth Content and Demonstrations

YouTube stands out for its ability to host long-form video content, making it ideal for deep dives into B2B products, tutorials, and thought leadership panels. Influencers can create detailed product reviews, how-to guides, and educational content that walks potential customers through complex solutions in an accessible manner.

Besides, YouTube shorts allow you to present bite-sized tips and tricks, creating desire or keeping your products top-of-mind.

Basically, YouTube allows you to engage potential customers through each buying cycle stage with informative and actionable content.

Platform-Specific Content Strategies

Each platform requires a distinct content strategy that aligns with the preferences and expectations of its user base:

• LinkedIn content should focus on thought leadership and industry insights, utilizing articles, professional achievements, and company news to engage a business-oriented audience.
• Instagram content should leverage high-quality visuals, short videos, and stories to humanize the brand and make technical or complex B2B solutions more accessible.

YouTube content should prioritize educational and in-depth videos that provide comprehensive insights into B2B solutions, addressing the target market’s specific needs and pain points.

4. Managing Influencer Relationships

At inBeat Agency, we advise B2B brands to foster enduring relationships with influencers.

That’s because your niche experts are limited, so influencer discovery is difficult.

4.1. Best Practices for Influencer Relationships

Here’s how our team maintains influencer relationships:

• Transparency and trust: Establish a foundation of trust by being transparent about your marketing goals, expectations, and how you envision the influencer fitting into your influencer marketing program. This honesty sets the stage for a genuine partnership.
• Respect for expertise: Recognize the influencers as industry experts and value their insights. Allowing influencers to have creative freedom within the collaboration leads to more authentic content and reinforces their commitment to the partnership.
• Regular communication: Maintain open lines of communication through social channels or professional networks. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can help both parties stay aligned and promptly address concerns.
• Acknowledgment and appreciation: Show appreciation for the influencer’s efforts in promoting your B2B products or services. Public acknowledgments and private expressions of gratitude can go a long way in strengthening the relationship.

4.2. Logistical Aspects of Influencer Collaboration

While being friendly and open goes a long way, it’s also important to focus on the practical matters of your relationship. These include:

• Compensation structures: Clearly outline compensation terms, including monetary payment, access to exclusive industry events, or free products/services. Ensure the compensation reflects the value the influencer brings to your B2B marketing campaigns.
• Clear communication channels: Establish preferred methods of communication, whether through email, messaging apps, or regular meetings, to discuss campaign progress, content ideas, and any adjustments needed.
• Contract management: Draft clear contracts that detail the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and legalities such as intellectual property rights and disclosure requirements. This legal framework protects both the B2B company and the influencer, ensuring clarity and accountability.

Performance tracking and feedback: Use digital marketing tools to track the performance of influencer campaigns against key performance indicators. Share these insights with your influencers to collaboratively optimize strategies and content for better results.

5. Measuring Success and ROI

In point 1, you established your goals and corresponding KPIs.

Now, you should measure your campaign’s results against those KPIs using:

• Analytics tools: Track website traffic, user engagement, and conversion metrics directly resulting from influencer campaigns. Tools like Google Analytics can provide a granular view of how users from influencer channels interact with your website, helping to attribute conversions and sales to specific influencer efforts.
• Social listening platforms: Employ social listening tools to monitor the social media landscape for mentions of your brand, products, and relevant industry keywords. This approach measures the buzz generated by your influencer campaigns. You also get solid insights into audience sentiment, influencer engagement rate, and the overall health of your brand’s digital influencer content.
• Influencer-specific metrics: Track influencer-specific metrics such as engagement rates on their posts, the quality and relevance of audience interactions, and the alignment of influencer content with your brand messaging. This data can help evaluate individual influencers’ effectiveness and make informed decisions for future collaborations.

Miro Case Study: Performance Results

The Miro campaign follows several influencer-specific metrics for each platform. This is one example for LinkedIn:

Whereas Instagram followed other KPIs:

As you can see, both channels are very profitable for building awareness in a qualified market.

B2B Influencer Marketing: Challenges and Solutions

B2B influencer marketing presents unique challenges that require strategic solutions to ensure the success of campaigns.

Our clients at inBeat Agency typically face two major problems:

• Finding the right influencers: Identifying relevant influencers with a significant following and authority within the B2B space is not easy. The challenge amplifies when trying to match these influencers with your target market’s specific needs and nuances.
• Measuring ROI: Quantifying the return on investment (ROI) from B2B influencer marketing efforts can be complex due to longer sales cycles and difficulty tracking lead conversion directly from influencer activities.

We can handle both of these issues for you. But if you want to address these challenges yourself, use:

• Influencer discovery platforms: Influencer databases like inBeat are dedicated to connecting businesses with influencers. These platforms provide detailed analytics on the influencers’ reach, engagement rate, and audience demographics. However, you still need solid manual research for B2B experts who might only be active on LinkedIn.
• Technology for campaign management: Implement campaign management tools that offer features for tracking engagement, managing contracts, and measuring the effectiveness of influencer content. These tools can simplify the logistical aspects of managing multiple influencers and campaigns, allowing for real-time adjustments and optimization.
• Attribution modeling: Adopt advanced attribution models that consider the multifaceted paths to conversion typical in B2B transactions. This approach can provide a more accurate picture of how influencer marketing contributes to lead generation and sales.

But if all this sounds like too much work, let’s schedule a free strategy call, and we’ll build a solid plan for your company – just like we did for Miro.

Want more examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns? Check out case studies of our influencer marketing agency in Toronto!