INFLUENCER MARKETING EXPLAINED

Influencer marketing is a fairly recent addition to the marketer’s arsenal – its rise runs in tandem with that of the increase in social media marketing – and was initially adopted by the B2C market. However, as platforms adapt to accommodate a broader pool of influencer types, influencer marketing is becoming a useful tool in B2B marketing campaigns, too.

What does it involve?

Influencer marketing is the term for partnering with individuals who have a significant (e.g. 5000+) following on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok – but also the more ‘traditional’ B2B platforms like LinkedIn. The influencer would promote or market the product or service in pre-agreed written posts, videos, reels and reviews that reflect your brand’s tone of voice, messaging and values. 

Here are some tips for effective B2B influencer marketing:

  1. Identify relevant influencers: find influencers who have a strong following in your industry, and whose content chimes with that of your brand’s values and messages.
  2. Build relationships: reach out to the influencer/s and introduce your brand. Share and like their content, comment on posts and engage with them on social media.
  3. Collaborate on content: work with the influencers to promote and create content that promotes your brand in a way that is authentic and engaging. Producing your own content for the influencer to use or adapt works well – scripts for video, top line messaging, product marketing information and pre-written posts with relevant hashtags are useful to have in your own content library.
  4. Leverage their networks: this is key to the influencer marketing strategy – the aim is to reach a wider – relevant – audience using the already nurtured network of the influencer.
  5. Measure success: use metrics like engagement rates, follower numbers and lead generation to measure the success of using influencer marketing campaigns.

Remember that influencer marketing is just one strand in a comprehensive marketing campaign. It is about building relationships and promoting your brand in a way that is authentic and engaging.

Coupled with a robust communication strategy that includes content marketing, corporate communications and public relations, influencer marketing can provide B2B brands with a new way to communicate their message to a wider audience, and drive more leads to their business.

The Henley Group is a B2B communications agency, based in Henley-on-Thames, UK. We specialise in public relations, content marketing, corporate communications, and strategic consulting for clients in the UK and overseas. We advise, plan, produce and deliver engaging communication programmes for clients across a range of B2B sectors.