Choosing the Right B2B Influencers for Your Brand
If your B2B brand is looking to boost visibility on social media, one way to accomplish this is working with influencers who are well regarded within your industry.
When you think about influencer marketing, B2C (business-to-consumer) influencer marketing is probably what comes to mind – but it’s actually a very effective strategy for B2B businesses to build brand awareness. In fact, there are a lot of benefits, including expanding reach, boosting engagement, and establishing brand loyalty and trust.
If you’re thinking about adding influencer marketing to your B2B content marketing strategy, we recommend considering LinkedIn as your platform of choice. As per Social Pilot, LinkedIn is the leading platform for B2B lead generation:
- 89% B2B marketers rely on LinkedIn for lead generation.
- 65% of B2B companies have acquired new customers through LinkedIn.
With an abundance of B2B prospects on LinkedIn, the platform offers a lot of opportunity for success through B2B influencer marketing. Not sure how to go about selecting the right B2B influencers for your brand? Read on for our advice about choosing the perfect fit.
1. Determine Your Goals:
Before you begin your research, outline your campaign goals and figure out what you’d like to accomplish.
Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive leads, or educate your audience? The influencers you choose should be able to help your brand meet these objectives.
For example, if your focus were lead generation, we’d recommend considering influencers with a track record of driving audience engagements, opposed to just holding a high follower count.
2. Prioritize Relevance Over Reach:
When building your B2B influencer marketing strategy, think quality over quantity! Search for influencers whose content aligns with your industry and audience matches your target market.
An influencer may have thousands of followers, but if those people aren’t interested in your industry and the type of work your brand does, the partnership won’t be as effective. An influencer with a small, engaged following within your niche could provide better value than one with a large, but less relevant audience.
Take the time to assess potential influencers’ content and level of engagement. Do people interact with their posts on a regular basis? Is their content getting a lot of Likes, comments, and shares?
3. Sustain Your Brand Values:
Before choosing an influencer to contact and potentially work with, you should be able to answer this question:
Does their content make sense for your brand?
The influencers you partner with will essentially represent your business, so it’s important that their values and public image align with yours. Review their content and audience interactions to ensure they maintain a positive reputation in your industry. Additionally, avoid associating with influencers who are affiliated with anything that may conflict with your brand’s principles.
Where Can You Find B2B Influencers?
According to LinkedIn, “Start by identifying influencers who possess in-depth knowledge and expertise in your industry or niche. Their expertise should be recognized and respected by their audience and industry peers.”
Here’s how you can locate and connect with potential influencers:
- Research Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs): Start by exploring LinkedIn and YouTube for influential figures in your industry. For example, one of our dental manufacturing clients collaborated with a well-known dental lab owner who created an interesting demo of a fan-favorite product, which generated a lot of viewer interest.
- Make Authentic Connections: Network and get to know knowledgeable, well-regarded, active professionals in your industry. Think tradeshows, networking events (online or in person), and LinkedIn communities.
- Engage in Industry Conversations: Pay attention to the comment sections of popular LinkedIn posts in your niche. Who is leading the conversations? Who is contributing valuable insights and interacting with others? Active industry professionals often hold influence and can connect you with broader networks. Continuously network, participate in conversations, and position your brand as an industry thought leader.
Get assistance from a B2B influencer marketing agency: Call us at 631-842-4600 to get started.