The digital marketing ecosystem has woken up, capitalized and benefited from influencer marketing. Micro Influencers, nano influencers, social media influencers, financial influencers, fashion and lifestyle influencers – you name it and they are there. In 2020 alone, brands and companies spent close to 8 billion USD on Instagram influencer marketing. Considered to be a wonderful approach to reach individual consumers, the bigger question is if influencer marketing works for B2B businesses as well.

It may seem tricky, and despite being a great persuasion to gain traction, only 15% of B2B brands use influencer marketing in their digital marketing strategy, say experts from Influencer marketing services in Hyderabad, India. There is untapped potential in this space, waiting to be explored.

Take a look at these tips for B2B influencer marketing to increase ROI, brand awareness and traffic.

Turn existing customers into influencers

A huge misconception about influencer marketing is that it means collaborating with social media celebrities, or anyone in your product/service sphere of influence. This is not entirely true.

One of the biggest factor that differentiates between star endorsements and influencer marketing is the fact that influencers have a certain reality appeal to it. And what could be more real than collaborating with your existing clients? It is a great way to build relationships, and reach out to the B2B network.

Think of it as this wide networking event where peers are recommending your products/services and connecting you to others. It is exactly the same, but on the digital space. Looking into what you already have in your arsenal in the form of existing clients, who can advocate on your behalf is a right step in the right direction!

Research potential influencers

Every industry has industry leaders, and industry related people who exert influence on that sphere. Do some basic research, and understand who your customers follow, and why they follow them. It could be an industry expert, pod casters, academician, or researcher in that field. Think of the B2B space as your landscape and other businesses as your target.

Consider reaching out to your consumers in the B2B space through newsletters, podcasts or video content. You could invite Subject Matter Experts or leaders, conduct sessions, organise AMA sessions or virtual hangouts. The idea is to create a space for interaction where handpicked influencers act as your brand ambassadors.

We are noticing an upward trend in leads turning into consumers based on real, objective sources rather than abstract sources like media advertisements or endorsements by stars, remarks a leading Digital Marketing Agency in Hyderabad.

Identifying the right influencer, be it an individual representing a business, a business, or a bigger brand, their endorsement will add a lot of value in terms of trust and reliability.

Account for intangibles

In B2C influencer marketing, abstract values, corporate responsibilities and business commitments do not make as much an impact as they do in B2B marketing. When two entities come into play, it turns into a power-play, which is very sensitive to intangibles like brand values, sustainability or corporate commitments where both have to strike common ground.

While B2C influencers are more in the retail space, with their major role being that of a friend who recommends products or services, the B2B space is more like someone with power and influence reviewing it. The paperwork, contracts and agreements entered into as a part of a B2B influencer strategy, are not the same as an individual contract. Sensitive information, shared information and non-disclosure agreements should be carefully scrutinized and entered into. Keep in mind probable conflict of interests, and common commitments that you can capitalise on to reach out and appeal to other businesses.

Look beyond the traditional sources

The first image that pops into our mind when one says influencer marketing is Instagram. It is true that Instagram as a platform has been spearheading the whole influencer game, with people easily connecting, sharing and exploring new connections and businesses.

However, Instagram is not the only platform. Think of fields like biomedical engineering, where an Instagram presence is good for brand visibility but not for garnering business

With dedicated discord servers, Reddit subs, Twitter chats, podcasts conferences and hangouts are all innovative ways to reach out to potential businesses other than Instagram.

Harness the power of data and automation

Data analytics, big data and data science are buzzwords that have been doing rounds for the last few years in the digital field. Data in itself is just raw material, and will be useful only when it is used right, to reach out, market and convert it into revenue. This applies to the B2B space too.

However, if your business is new to the concept of influencer marketing you should consider employing reputed firms offering Digital Marketing Services in Hyderabad. These platforms will assist in data collection, and generate metrics like campaign performance, identifying industry based influencers, brand and reputation management and social media presence management.

Ultimately, customers trust other customers than the message we try to sell them. Influencer marketing can prove more beneficial for B2B than B2C in many cases, because businesses trust businesses when the influencer is chosen right. Also we must remember that in B2B influencer marketing, the influence exists beyond the social media sphere. A few pointers and influencer marketing can be a powerful B2B marketing tool!