In the B2B world, influence isn’t determined by how you look in a bathing suit or how many exotic locales you can Instagram from. B2B influencers are subject matter experts, practitioners with a proven track record, and consultants with their finger on the pulse of a specific industry. It’s also trickier to find and engage influencers in the B2B world. It’s not about finding someone with a high follower count and cutting them a check—B2B influencer marketing is based on building relationships with these truly influential titans of business. In short, B2B influencer marketing is a specialized ..read more

It’s ironic that B2B influencer marketing is getting more difficult as it gets more popular. In the ancient before times of 2017, it was as easy as dropping an email to a few well-known folks, asking for a quote or a quick interview, offering only goodwill and recognition in return.  Now that the B2B world at large recognizes the value of influencer marketing, it’s a much more sophisticated discipline. The game has changed for marketers and influencers alike. The days of informal requests and handshake deals are numbered, if not already over. Despite these growing pains, it’s clear influ ..read more

How can B2B brands best harness the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help take their influencer marketing to the next level? At this point, it seems unlikely content that has been created with at least some AI-generated tool assistance will be shunned, making it likely that for better or worse it will soon be the rule rather than the exception — if it isn't already. Some organizations may put policies in place that forbid the use of generative AI, however for those that don’t there are many helpful and creative ways these tools can be harnessed to take B2B influencer ..read more

Has there ever been a time when you were trying to work with an influencer, but found it challenging to get their attention? Having your emails go unanswered and being left unread on LinkedIn is a silent form of rejection we’ve all encountered at some point in time — it’s just inevitable. But there is a method to increasing the chances the expert you have your eye on not only replies to your messages but does plenty more — and I’m not talking about simply using money as a motivator. 1 — Don’t jump directly into their DMs After hours of searching, you finally find an influencer who’s the perf ..read more

What are some of the top reasons that B2B brands are leveraging influencer marketing in 2023? In the following infographic, we share 15+ valuable insights, take-aways and statistics that show how B2B brands and marketers are increasingly turning to the power of influencer marketing to add the type of human touch-points that are more important than ever in the face of increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), and to help strengthen marketing efforts in the face of economic uncertainty. Let’s jump right in with an array of 15+ helpful and sometimes-surprising B2B influencer marketing ins ..read more

Is recession-proof marketing genuinely possible in the uncertain headwinds of 2023, and — if not — what can B2B marketers do instead to best weather the storm? Recession-proof B2B marketing may sound reassuring, however blindly buying into it could at the very least cause unwanted surprises, and at the worst end up proving disastrous. Thankfully, there are marketing tactics that persevere better than others during uncertainty, however none will be quite the digital panacea that some have been recently touting. 97 percent of chief marketing officers and brand managers have said that inflation ..read more

Blind pitching rarely works. It sometimes works, but not to the level you need for a meaningful relationship. For real success in B2B influencer marketing, a real relationship is needed. What motivates influencers to work with a B2B brand? Ann Handley, chief content officer at MarketingProfs, said in the TopRank Marketing 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report she has to “Feel rapport with the brand and with the people behind the brand,” and “Like the people I work directly with.” Finding that sweet spot where you can have a meaningful conversation and rapport with top thought leaders ..read more

In case you’re new to the blog, our agency is pretty sold on B2B influencer marketing. Now, when we say influencer marketing, we’re not talking about tanned and toned Gen Z’ers sitting poolside, endorsing your SaaS solution. At least not for your first campaign. No, influence in B2B is all about value and credibility: Your brand lends credibility & new audience to influencers Influencers lend credibility & new audience to your brand Both audiences get trustworthy, valuable content As our recent report shows, B2B marketers are steadily increasing their influencer marketing sophistica ..read more

Over the past few years aka "the Covid years" the role of influence in B2B marketing has grown significantly. Our 2022 research report, The State of B2B Influencer Marketing, reported that 85% of B2B marketers believe that interest in working with influencers in the coming 12 months will increase. On top of that, of the B2B marketers that do engage in influencer marketing programs, 86% consider their efforts successful. There's a lot to be optimistic about, especially in a business environment that requires B2B marketers to find every advantage they can to grow in a potentially down market ..read more

2022 has seen B2B marketers continuing to find creative new uses of influencer marketing, which has proven to be more recession-proof than other marketing tactics — and why 2023 is expected to see even more marketers and brands utilizing the power of B2B influence.  We've been fortunate to feature many fine articles on our blog over the year that explore how B2B marketers are making the most of social media marketing to elevate and achieve new levels of success. We're also fortunate to have a wealth of talented B2B marketing professionals contributing to and reading the TopRank Marketin ..read more