How to Start an Organic B2B Influencer Content Program

Influencer marketing has attracted a lot of enthusiasm in 2017 and for good reason. Benefits that include a nearly 10:1 return in earned media value, increased conversion and customer retention rates have many marketers asking the same question: where to start?

As with most marketing adventures, 'how' is not nearly as important as 'why'. I can't stress enough how important it is to gain clarity about what influencer marketing can do for your business. At the same time, being firm about what your business can do for the influencers that you will be working with is just as important.

In our influencer marketing practice, we take a content-centric approach to working with influencers and as a result, our definition reflects that:

“Influencer marketing activates internal and industry experts with engaged networks to develop relationships and co-create content of mutual value that drives measurable business goals.”

With a content-centric approach to working with influencers, companies can tap into influencer expertise to add more credibility to their content as well as exposure with difficult to reach audiences. Working with a group of influencers to co-create content, a brand could increase the amount of content produced, boost the reach of content to new audiences and develop valuable relationships - all at the same time. 

For your first influencer marketing program, here are a few steps to consider:

1. Decide the topic you want to be influential about. Make sure that topic matters to your customers as much as it matters to your brand.
2. Find the right tools. Do some research on influencer marketing tools to help you better identify, qualify and recruit the right influencers.
3. Romance prospective influencers by following them on social, commenting on their posts and including them in your content. Make a distinction between professional influencers, aka 'brandividuals' who mostly want exposure or compensation, and niche influencers who care less about recognition than the greater good. Your approach should be specific to each.
4. Make a relevant offer to collaborate or co-create content in a way that provides value to the influencer. Content that creates great exposure for an influencer can be more motivating than modest compensation. Of course, do this in a way that also creates value for your brand’s content marketing program.
5. Make it easy to contribute and even easier to share the resulting content that's created. Brands that empathize with influencers smooth the speed bumps that often get in the way of frictionless collaboration and promotion. The investment in creation is often an inspiration to share the resulting content, but if you make sharing easy by providing text and media resources, your influencer content will reach even more potential customers.

When there are time constraints, substantial requirements or goals very similar to advertising campaigns, you can pay influencer creators to product content and promote to their audiences.

When influencer marketing is relationship based, brands can create a direct connection with influencers based on shared values and a genuine interest in mutual success. Those relationships can grow over time and may stay 100% organic or incorporate a combination of paid engagements with organic advocacy.

Starting out, think about your short and long-term goals as well as your 'why' going into the planning. Start with advocates, customers and employees that are already showing brand love, topical interest and content creation savvy. Invite them to collaborate on content in a way that drives mutual exposure and use the experience to document processes and build a business case.

For more insights into B2B influencer marketing, check out this presentation: