9 Steps to Success When Choosing An Influencer for Your Marketing Campaign
BY CARA SLOMAN
Long before marketing existed as the discipline it is today, people sought out the opinions of people they trusted before buying products and services. That channel remains powerful, and a well-conceived influence campaign can go far.
In the B2B realm, influencers stride the line between the physical and digital worlds and their stamp of approval has a huge impact. Securing third-party validation from influencers contributes to a higher ROI on your marketing investment via warmer leads and increased engagement.
If your marketing strategy doesn’t include influencers, you’re missing a powerful tool for reaching new audiences and building brand visibility. That means smart marketers today must embrace influencers in a meaningful way.
Influencers’ outsized impact
Today, 49% of C-suite marketers think influencers cause customers and prospects to have a better opinion of their brand in terms of credibility and trust, according to a recent Ogilvy report. The global market for influencer advertising was worth $21 billion dollars in 2023 and is predicted to grow to $52 billion by 2028. Influencer marketing is gaining maturity and will continue to cast a wider net, creating increasing value and validity.
Trusted relationships are the foundation of B2B sales. Influencers in this space add a degree of trustworthiness that traditional marketing and advertising can’t touch. It’s easier to trust an industry expert or insider’s perspective than a generic benefits-and-features ad campaign. B2B companies that work with these insiders can extend their message to new prospects while strengthening connections with current customers.
The Cisco Champion Public Community is a great example of raising awareness through the direct experience of influencers. These are primarily customers and partners who are passionate about technology and love to share their experiences and what they’ve learned with others. They are messaging torch-bearers, so to speak, and bring great credibility through their input online and at in-person events.
9 steps for success with influencers
Nine key actions are involved in folding B2B influencers into your marketing plan. First, decide what you want to achieve. Is it lead generation? More sales? Brand awareness? Once you’ve decided on that point, determine key performance indicators that will enable you to monitor the success of your plan.
The second action to take is to research the audience you’re targeting so you thoroughly understand their desires and pain points. This will tell you how to segment this audience and speak effectively to each segment.
Third, find the relevant influencers to those segments, including thought leaders with deep market expertise. These leaders must have a following similar to or similar to your target audience. Examine the size and composition of their audience, the number and quality of interactions and the leaders’ engagement rates.
Fourth, come up with a strategy for collaboration. Will you let the influencer take over your social media accounts for a day? Do a webinar together? Sponsor their content or have them write a guest blog post? From there, decide what the collaborator will receive financial and/or other forms of remuneration, like access to your product or service. Make sure everyone is clear about what’s expected and when, as well as what metric will be used to measure performance.
The fifth action is to create personalized messages to each influencer you’ve identified, explaining why you think they’re appropriate for your brand and what you think a collaboration would entail. Don’t leave them trying to fill in the blanks! Strive to create genuine rapport, explaining why you appreciate their perspective and expertise.
Sixth, create a content plan with the influencer so that it matches your objectives and hews to their individual branding. Give the influencer all the support and resources they need to execute the plan, but let them use their unique creativity, too.
The seventh action involves tracking KPIs using analytics tools. What are the engagement and conversion rates? Was there an uptick in website traffic? Use those metrics to find out what’s working and what needs a pivot.
The eighth action is to learn, rinse and repeat. Go over the campaign’s outcomes with a fine-toothed comb to find your successes and whether anything could be done better going forward. Use what you find to update your future campaigns.
The ninth thing to do is to keep interacting with the influencer once the first campaign is over; your goal is to create an enduring partnership. Discuss the results of your collaboration with them and, if needed, provide constructive feedback.
Partnering with influencers
Influence is today’s word of mouth. That means B2B companies must begin embracing influencers, exploring their unique ability to build trust, expand reach and foster authentic connections. These industry experts carry more clout than a traditional marketing campaign, but you must cross all your T’s and dot all your I’s before you begin your outreach. Follow the recommended steps discussed above to create an effective, results-driven influencer campaign that increases reach and drives business goals.
