Grow with Influencers

This section was written in collaboration with Hector Forwood, a B2B influencer expert and founder of Flooencer.

Influencers are still a relatively new concept in B2B, especially compared to consumer influencers. But they are here, and they are here to stay. People buy from people, and people buy based on trust. Building your own networks from scratch take time, but you can often leverage the trust others have built in their networks already to get a head start.

Why It Matters

Influencer marketing is a form of advocacy - just like customer advocacy or employee advocacy. The difference is that with influencers you’re often leveraging external individuals who aren’t affiliated with your company. Right now most B2B influencer marketing happens through LinkedIn, newsletters or podcasts, but it’s starting to appear on more traditional influencer channels like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as well.

The power of this approach comes from authentic voices speaking to highly targeted professional audiences. Unlike traditional B2C influencers, B2B creators typically have deeper industry expertise and more engaged professional followers. Their content carries weight because it comes from practitioners rather than brands.

Done right, influencer marketing bridges the gap between brand messaging and peer recommendation. Business decision-makers increasingly rely on trusted voices within their professional networks to navigate complex purchasing decisions. These influencers can contextualize your solution within real-world scenarios that resonate with specific professional pain points.

Consider Influencer Partnerships

Single influencer posts still have a place for driving brand awareness, but companies and influencers alike are realizing that the real value lies in influencer partnerships. Deeper relationships that last beyond a handful of posts drive more value for the brands, while also preventing the influencer from burning the trust bridges they’ve built with their audience. Given the length of the average B2B buying cycle, these longer term partnerships are also more aligned with the goals of your business.

Partnerships with influencers can involve content co-creation, advisory, event hosting, and more. It's very similar to what you may already be doing with company-level partners, but with individuals instead.

Running Your First Campaign

This is a high level starting point for running your first B2B influencer campaign. For a more in-depth guide, check out this resource we created with our friends at Flooencer.

1. Strategy First: Define clear objectives, establish concrete success metrics, and outline your target audience. Create a compelling value proposition for creators.

2. Select the Right Creators: Look for frequent posters with engaged audiences that match your customer profile. Content alignment is more important than follower count.

3. Execute With Precision: Provide comprehensive briefs, drive strategic engagement, and track performance with unique UTM links.

4. Measure & Scale: Analyze which content formats perform best. For larger campaigns, budget at least $15K for a 3-month program with multiple creators.

Remember that B2B influencer marketing requires patience as the impact builds over time, generating both brand awareness and new pipeline opportunities while strengthening your overall market positioning.

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