By now we have all heard of and seen influencers and know about their impact on marketing in the direct to consumer markets. They are extremely popular and sought after in the B2C world and tend to earn their crust by partnering with brands to promote products and services to their large followings. Some are good, some are ordinary and to be honest, most are overpaid for what they provide (but that's a discussion for another time).

But what about B2B influencer marketing? Is this even a thing?

Well, the rise of B2B Influencer Marketing may not be as widespread as its B2C counterpart, but it's certainly on the up. According to ResearchAndMarkets (via Business Wire), 38% of B2B companies are exploring influencer marketing as a new lead-generation strategy. And it's easy to see why - subject matter experts and thought leaders are great sources of knowledge and advice for businesses to tap into. By partnering with influencers who have a following in their target audience, B2B companies can look to increase brand awareness, build trust and credibility, and even drive conversions.

By partnering with influencers who have a large following in your target audience, you can get your message in front of a larger audience, many of whom may not have been aware of your brand previously. Additionally, working with reputable influencers can help build trust and credibility for your brand with their followers, who may see your brand as more trustworthy if an influencer they trust endorses it. Some well known B2B influencers include Gary Vaynerchuk (media, advertising, digital and culture), Rand Fishkin (SEO and digital) and Neil Patel (everything marketing and online media). The individual net-worth alone of these 3 individuals would most likely surpass some of the highest paid B2C influencers.

B2B influencer marketing can also be an effective way to drive conversions. Followers of the influencer may be more likely to trust and purchase products recommended by someone they follow and admire. And finally, partnering with influencers can help generate high-quality content that you can use across your marketing channels, helping you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

Of course, like any marketing strategy, there are potential drawbacks to B2B influencer marketing. One of the main challenges is the cost - influencers with large followings can command high fees, which may not be feasible for smaller businesses or startups. Additionally, measuring the direct impact of influencer marketing on revenue or other key performance indicators can be challenging, as it can be difficult to track the exact impact of an influencer's content. And choosing the wrong influencer can harm your brand's reputation if the influencer has a negative reputation or engages in questionable behaviour.

So, if you're considering exploring B2B influencer marketing, how can you make the most of this strategy? The goal of B2B companies looking to leverage influencer power should be to have these influencers make genuine recommendations about their product or service. This can be an effective way to get a credible boost from trusted voices within the industry. But it's important to carefully select influencers who align with your brand values and have a positive reputation. And finally, ensure that you are measuring the impact of your campaigns to ensure you are getting a good return on investment.

B2B influencer marketing is definitely a thing, and it's likely to become even more popular in the coming years. There are countless examples of B2B influencers establishing themsevles in a niche, creating engaging and relevant content and making a career out of sharing their information and thoughts. BB influencers are likely to offer more advice and technical information than B2C influencers, who tend to be share more imagery and be more promotional.

B2B organisations should include a strategy as a part of their marketing mix to at least trial partnering with reputable influencers in their niche who have a good sized following and can help you increase brand awareness. This will in-turn help your business build trust and credibility, and ultimately even drive conversions. There are always risks in working with influencers (no matter whether you are B2C or B2B) which is why it's always important to carefully select the influencers you want to work with. We recommend viewing all of their social profiles, reading the comments and undertake due diligence first. You also want to ask them how they measure their success, what they can do to make sure your brand stands out and provide a good return on your investment. By doing so, you can make this a powerful and quite unique marketing strategy and drive growth for your business.