“Influencer” marketing is as much of a buzzword in B2B as it is in consumer marketing, but it is far less understood. For many, influencers are considered an extension of earned media outreach, ensuring that bloggers or Twitter influencers are targeted in the same way as you might target traditional media. And it can be hard to justify specific investment in an influencer programme for brands who – unlike consumer influencers – have networks measured in the small hundreds, or thousands, and rarely in the millions. All the while, B2B marketers continue to engage ‘traditional’ influencers without considering their digital footprint when developing thought leadership or other collaborations. For this paper, we are talking about digital influence; people who, through their online engagements on social media and beyond, might influence brand perception or buying cycles for B2B brands.
In this context, there are key questions that need answering for every brand. Should I work with influencers? Who do I need to work with? How can I be sure they’re relevant to my audience? How do I work with them effectively? And how do I track the impact of my work to validate further investment for ongoing programmes? This paper explains how Brands2Life helps its B2B clients answer those questions.