B2Breakthrough: Leveraging influencers in unconventional marketing spaces

Experiences and opinions shared within a like-minded community of experts generate a unique credibility, garnering immediate trust and confidence from the business community. Trends now show there is a growing demand for authenticity and intellectual insights from thought leaders, experts and successful business owners.

While you scroll on LinkedIn for new job listings on your lunch break, chances are you’ve stopped to read about new developments and trends in your industry, ultimately following or sharing content from respected experts. The platform has shed its serious façade and we’ve seen more people embrace it to share content that transcends the fulfilment of their work duties, resulting in both an organic and paid B2B influencer marketing surge.

While video is still key, LinkedIn is also ripe for heavier text-based content and the platform has shown significant growth and record engagement of late. This positions LinkedIn, among other platforms, perfect for embracing a less traditional, more conversational approach to business marketing, ultimately enhancing the success of modernised marketing strategies.

Together, this introduces an innovative marketing tactic that complements the standard media release and narrative-driven strategies of the past. Traditional marketing strategies are fast evolving to meet the preferences of newer generations of decision-makers who rely on digital media as their primary news and business trends source.

If you haven’t yet mobilised your marketing mix to adapt more contemporary measures, check out some easy tips for developing your influencer collaboration tactics:

Seek out industry-specific creators

Whether you’re in finance, tech, or the medical field, there are likely content creators who share your values and vision. By partnering with credible and insightful creators and leveraging the power of their user-generated content, you can unlock new opportunities for your brand through repurposing. This not only facilitates conversation, but can also drive conversions through effective funnelling.

Choose influencers who are on the right platforms

When deciding who to partner with, ensure the influencer has the right following on the right platform. LinkedIn, YouTube and X are primary sources for most B2B marketing, while Instagram and Facebook work well for select sectors only.

Video, video and more video

Whether the influencer curates their own or you have production budget, make sure you collaborate on strong video projects for your shared social media spaces. An open discussion about the industry, micro-cut into smaller social Easter eggs works wonders for quick-thinking insights.

Collaborate on creative projects

Another way to stretch your influencer relationship could be with public speaking opportunities such as panels, debates and webinars. Alternatively, you could invite them to give a keynote talk at a client networking event or a product launch. Contributions to white papers also adds great credibility to your marketing outreach.

Solution-solving spotlights

Find a problem and solve it with an expert. If you know an expert influencer who can provide strategy for dealing with common industry gripes, team up and create video or written content together. Placing the expert in the spotlight as a guest adds an instant boost to your social media timeline.

Only align with trusted sources

Ensuring you partner with the right voices from your industry is vital. Sharing information that is not fact-checked or is considered to be weak content will drag down your brand and do you no favours. Choose quality over quantity and pay what they are worth.

Incorporate your influencer work into public relations strategies

There are many members of the media that have strong social media followings and presence. Look for ways to incorporate your news into their social feeds as much as their editorial agenda.

Be aware of product reviews

If you work with a product-based B2B company and choose to send products on appro such as electronics, you will always open yourself up to scrutiny. Unless you are certain your product stands head-and-shoulders above the competition, replace the straightforward reviewing process with more creative ways of working together.

Develop a relationship with influencers for consultations

Have good relationships with your influencer pool and create an honest think tank where you can approach them with strategies for future campaign work.

Avoid ‘group think’

If you can ensure the influencers you work with are developed and mature enough within their personal brand to not simply agree with you because you pay the bills, half the battle is won. This may mean being more selective in your choices, but when it comes to B2B marketing, it will be worth it.

As B2B marketing continues to evolve, the integration of influencer partnerships is no longer just a trend—it's a strategic necessity. Businesses can stay ahead of the curve, reach far more targeted audiences, improve SEO, develop networks and achieve marketing goals with greater efficacy.

Don’t sleep on inviting B2B influencers into your marketing mix. Start identifying the right partners and watch your business gain a whole new level of impact.