Why B2B Brands Need to Better Harness the Power of Influencers?

Despite growing B2C influencer fatigue, the strategic use of B2B influencers is set to provide the biggest value-add the influencer economy has presented marketers in a very long time.?

Influencer marketing is a useful tool for any marketer’s arsenal.?In theory, it makes perfect sense to earn exposure through?influencers –?after all consumers trust each other more than they trust messages from brands. So, if a brand can get a human being to be front of house, not only do costs go down, but persuasiveness goes up simultaneously.?

Perfect right!? Well, no, because it’s not all rosy in the influencer marketing camp; there are, particularly on the B2C side, some critical challenges with this type of marketing.?Notably, a lack of authenticity, oversaturation, and a?tendency for brands to?confuse influence with audience?when selecting which from the glut of influencers to align themselves with.

On top of this B2C consumers are starting to get influencer burnout. This comes as no surprise, given the way COVID hasaccelerated consumers’ digital behaviour. As we spent more time during lockdowns online, so our digital appetite, confidence, and expectations grew.?The resultant post-truth age means we’re currently living in a trust economy, where credibility, transparency, honesty, and authenticity turn the wheels of brand commerce.?

Yet, whilst most B2C influencers, and the way in which they are used, is wearing to a growing group of consumers, the B2B landscape has seen very little of the same. The reality is that B2B influencer marketing is on course to generate a potential?$11.7 billion in revenue by the end of 2022, with more than?38% of B2B brands?currently exploring influencer marketing as a lead-generation opportunity.

So, given the wider societal fatigue on influencers, how come the discipline is set to become a mainstream approach for B2B brands?

Well, unlike influencers in the consumer space, business influencers aren’t what you would call “professional influencers.” Instead, they are experts passionate about their chosen fields, and they all have very engaged audiences. They are thought leaders.

Influencers within B2B markets have earned the reputation of being SMEs [subject matter experts] through years of hard and meaningful efforts within their respective fields. They haven’t simply become a recognised face overnight. They have authentic professional credibility that can help provide answers to the pain points of a target audience.”

So, in essence, B2B buyers don’t want to be sold plastic promises, which is what we’re witnessing across the B2C landscape. What B2B buyers are looking for are real insights from real people who understand their niche market and know their stuff. That is what B2B influencer marketing is all about. The problem is most B2B brands aren’t using it effectively.

There is a tendency to see influencers as a media commodity rather than seeing them as strategic partners.

Foster the authority of influencers.?

Although, B2B marketers see great value in influencer marketing, many lack the resources to seize the full benefits of the strategy. I put this down to the fact, a lot of brands are not using B2B influencer marketing to anywhere near its full potential and are stuck with the mindset that it is a purely upper funnel tactic.

There is a tendency to see influencers as a media commodity rather than seeing them as strategic partners. The reality is the role of an influencer should not be a one-off organic sales drive because a B2B influencer’s authentic message is too strong and valuable to be wasted on just organic. Marketers should be looking at extending their play across the sales funnel – especially in a business where specialisms are niche.

Given many B2B influencers hold natural positions of authority such as journalists, analysts, business leaders, SMEs, and content creators, the smart play, therefore, is for brands to integrate influencers across their full ecosystems with customer content being just one part of a wider integrated influencer marketing strategy.?

By incorporating influencers into behind-the-scenes business operations, you can start to harness the real value they offer. Influencers can facilitate business relationships, open access to invaluable professional networks and contacts you otherwise wouldn't be able to reach, and even improve employee engagement and satisfaction, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

By taking a more broadened integrated strategic approach to influencer marketing, you can weave real credibility across your entire brand’s ecosystem and build a highly motivated platform of trust among customers and employees alike, driving both commercial strength and growth.

Like content marketing, influencer marketing is a practice that provides increasing value and results over time. It’s not efficient or effective to treat it as a one-off, one-time activity.?

Tap into the age of influence.

There’s little denying that adding B2B influencers to the marketing mix,?when done correctly, can be a game changer for your marketing efforts. It offers the freedom to engage with other buyers on a personal level using individuals who are making real waves in your industry.?

However, like content marketing, influencer marketing is a practice that provides increasing value and results over time. It’s not efficient or effective to treat it as a one-off, one-time activity.?

This current post-truth age provides a compelling opportunity to move away from plastic digital advertising and one size fits all marketing strategies of yesteryear, and to re-invent the way you use influencers in your B2B marketing mix.?

By taking a more creative, strategic, and holistic approach to the way you employ influencers across integrated activities at a business level, you can foster high-impact, scalable and sustainable collaborations, they can add more intrinsic value than short-term sales bumps at the consumer level. Ultimately, benefiting the organisation, the influencer, and the customer.

Drop me a line if you’re looking for a creative way to influence influencers.