How does B2B influencer marketing work and what are the mistakes of brands?

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During our two years of existence, Utopia has worked with a lot of companies. A recurring question remains: is influencer marketing adapted to BtoB brands?

Marketers often worry about the relevance of influencer marketing, especially on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. We're going to explore the Business To Business influence space, how it works, and the common mistakes brands make in their influence strategies.

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HOW DOES B2B INFLUENCE MARKETING WORK?

Business-to-Business is a strategic approach that allows businesses to promote their products or services to other businesses. In B2B influencer marketing, brands establish collaborative partnerships with influencers who are often experts in a specific field. These partnerships allow businesses to exploit the credibility of the influencer to reach new audiences.

Although centered around B2C (business-to-consumer) environments, influencer marketing plays a crucial role in B2B social media strategies.

B2C VS B2B INFLUENCER MARKETING

In the B2C world, consumers rely primarily on two factors: empathy and detail. In B2B, buying decisions are often based on experiences with industry influencers in their personal lives, seeking the same level of convenience and connection in their professional lives.

To succeed in a B2B influencer marketing campaign, it is essential to find innovative ways to target those with deep industry knowledge, who can influence business buyers, and who can easily integrate into business-to-business conversations.

EXAMPLES OF B2B INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

Monday.com : Collaboration with entrepreneur Janell Roberts on TikTok, showing how Monday.com helps entrepreneurs.

‍HubSpot : Partnership with TikTokers to promote its AI tools, reaching a professional audience.

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Shopify : Collaboration with YouTuber Ali Abdaal, capitalizing on the behavior of B2B consumers on YouTube.

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COMMON MISTAKES IN B2B INFLUENCER MARKETING

• Size is not everything : A common mistake is to believe that influencers with a large number of followers are automatically the best partners for B2B brands. However, in B2B, the real impact does not lie in the size of the social network, but in the real expertise, respect and validation by communities, publications and professional organizations. An influencer with a million followers may be relevant, but it is crucial to assess their fit with the brand and the campaign, as well as the relevance of their audience to the B2B brand.

• Different motivating factors : Unlike B2C where influencers can be mainly motivated by financial incentives, in B2B, influencers, experts and opinion leaders do not tend to monetize their influence in the same way. Their motivation to collaborate with a brand may come from an interest in developing their credibility and authority on a specific subject. B2B brands should strive to understand what motivates the influencer, and to create a more meaningful experience that can help achieve their goals.

• Quality before quantity : Focusing only on an influencer's reach neglects critical factors for success in B2B. A large number of subscribers does not guarantee engagement or relevance for a B2B audience. It is therefore crucial to focus on the relevance of the influencer for the industry, its engagement rates and the alignment with the audience. A smaller audience but strongly committed to a specific B2B niche often offers better results than a large but poorly engaged following. Metrics like comments, shares, and conversions are more important than just numbers because they indicate real audience interaction and potential for leads or sales.
  

IS INFLUENCER MARKETING SUITABLE FOR B2B BRANDS?

Success does not lie in copying B2C strategies, but in understanding its nuanced landscape. B2B influencer marketing collaborations thrive on sector expertise and thought leadership, by targeting niche audiences rather than relying solely on reach.

The strategies of Monday.com, HubSpot, and Shopify highlight the power of tailored B2B influencer campaigns, which focus on promotion over product arguments.

B2B brands need to understand that size is not everything, understand the motivations of the influencer, and prioritize resonance with the audience over reach for impactful B2B influence collaborations. In essence, B2B influencer marketing thrives on authenticity, relevance, and engagement, rather than numbers alone.

The relevance of a B2B influence campaign for your brand depends entirely on your goals and commercial ambitions. That's where we can help!

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In summary, B2B brands need to navigate the influencer marketing landscape carefully, recognizing key differences from B2C and adapting their strategies to take advantage of the unique opportunities this field offers. By focusing on authentic and relevant partnerships with influencers who share expertise and credibility in their niche, B2B brands can effectively engage their target audience and achieve significant business growth.