b2b influencers
It’s all the rage… but is it a passing fad or a new way to conduct business? Here are all the reasons why you should consider them.
Once I started working in the B2B space, the question became – can we use influencers? Depending on your thoughts surrounding social media and the power of any influencer, your answer may be that they are only good for B2C. However, B2B influencers have now become all the rage. For example, my favorite B2B influencer is Steven Bartlett, the host of the Diary of a CEO podcast and is considered a prominent B2B influencer, with over 1 million followers on LinkedIn.
A recent study by the ad agency Ogilvy found that B2B influencers are on the rise with near 75% of B2B using influencers in their marketing campaigns. Surprised? Well, over 550 senior leaders from B2B brands from 11 markets around the world were surveyed and the results were overwhelmingly positive.
The next question for me & other marketers was, what is the difference between a B2B & B2C influencer? Well, B2B influencers are those with “credible expertise rooted in proven experience that contributes to professional opinion” according to Ogilvy. However, B2C influencers are instead trendsetters or taste makers. For example, when I worked for the Specialty Food Association, we used a trend spotter panel full of industry professionals for each Fancy Food Show to spot trends and report on them. Not only were they talking trends but spoke about how the Show was the place to be to find new and innovative products. It was all about brand awareness and being perceived as the industry authority.
Here are 5 key findings from the study you should know:
75% of B2B businesses are already leveraging B2B influencers in their marketing campaigns.
67% of B2B influencer campaigns had more impact on the brands' marketing performance than brand-only campaigns.
89% of C-suite marketers recognize that using employees as influencers holds value for their businesses.
90% of marketers said they believe that B2B influencers on social media are important to stay up-to-date with their industry.
Besides LinkedIn, YouTube is the most used platform for B2B influence.
If you’re in the B2B space, the data makes it clear that it’s time to explore with influencer marketing. For more, here is a list of the top 10 B2B Influencers you should know about.