5 steps to deliver a B2B Influencer Marketing strategy

You’re already well aware of the power of B2B influencer marketing, but how does it all work in practice? What does a B2B influencer marketing strategy actually involve?

There’s a tonne of blog posts about the changing digital landscape and how influencer marketing can ‘propel brands to reach new heights’ – we’ve all seen the generic AI-generated ones. But we’re here with some top tips and real-life examples of successful B2B influencer campaigns that we’ve implemented for some of our clients.

Let’s jump into why businesses should consider it as part of their growth strategy in 2025 and beyond…

Understanding B2B Influencer Marketing

At its core, B2B influencer marketing involves collaborating with individuals who have substantial industry expertise and influence within the business community. These influencers can range from industry analysts and consultants to respected thought leaders who can sway the purchasing decisions of their followers – and let’s not forget the impactful content they help create for your organisation.

Unlike B2C influencer marketing, which often focuses on broader appeal and lifestyle promotion, B2B influencer marketing is about nurturing trust and credibility within a specific industry. The aim is to leverage the influencer’s authority and reach to enhance brand reputation, drive B2B growth, and create meaningful connections and business relationships.

Why Consider B2B Influencer Marketing?

1. Enhanced Credibility and Trust:

   In today’s overloaded digital environment, trust is key. B2B influencers bring authenticity and credibility, as they are viewed as experts in their fields. By aligning your brand with these influencers, you can tap into their authority and gain the trust of their audience.

2. Tapping into Niche Audiences:

   B2B influencers often cater to specific niches, allowing marketers to reach highly targeted audiences. Whether you’re in tech, finance, or healthcare, there’s likely a group of influencers who can help you connect with potential customers.

3. Content Amplification:

   Influencers can help to amplify your content by sharing it with their followers. This not only increases your brand’s visibility but also enhances your SEO efforts by driving more traffic to your website.

4. Driving B2B Growth:

   By effectively leveraging influencer relationships, businesses can drive lead generation and conversion rates. The right influencers can help you reach decision-makers who are crucial to your B2B growth targets.

How to Develop a B2B Influencer Strategy

1. Identify the Right Influencers

Start by identifying individuals who have a strong (think quality over quantity here) following within your industry and whose values align with your brand. Consider their reach, engagement levels, and the types of interactions with their audience.

2. Define Your Objectives

Be clear about what you want to achieve with your influencer strategy. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or establish thought-leadership? Your goals will shape your approach and choice of influencers.

3. Build Genuine Relationships

Remember how important we said trust was? Well, it’s the partner of authenticity; it’s so important. Engage with potential influencers by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and starting conversations. Building a genuine relationship lays the groundwork for a successful partnership. This shouldn’t feel transactional, this is the long-game.

4. Create Valuable Content

Collaborate with influencers to create content that aligns with both your brand and their style. This could be blog posts, webinars, case studies, or social media takeovers. Ensure the content provides value to the influencer’s audience.

5. Measure and Analyse

Measurement is so important – too many companies fall flat at this stage. Make sure you are tracking the performance of your campaigns using metrics such as reach, engagement rates, traffic, and conversion rates. Use these insights to refine your strategy and optimise future influencer collaborations.

Real examples

At OST, we’re incredibly proud of the B2B influencer campaigns we have created and executed for our clients. From intimate roundtable discussions with fintech practitioners in Times Square, to a panel of AI experts in a London skyscraper, and everything in between, we’ve seen first-hand how B2B influencer marketing has evolved over the years and the trends we predict for the future.

We’ve spent years refining our offering and understanding how to get the best results for the brands we work with. At the centre is always ‘the fit’. Finding someone who genuinely cares about their own community and is part of similar conversations your organisation wants to be a part of, is the secret sauce.

When we worked on an influencer campaign for Inventory Planner by Sage, we found a treasure! Introducing @Charlotte Carter, a business founder who had only ever turned down brand collaboration requests previously.

Charlotte’s passion for her business, and her customers, was clear and she recognised that the product would genuinely benefit the growth of CarterBags.com. After several conversations to ensure the partnership was a good match, we began working with her to share her story and shout (authentically) about her experience of the Inventory Planner software. She was sold. Experiencing it for herself, she really believed in the solution and wanted to share its success with others. The result? Wholesome and trusted content from someone who wasn’t just paid for an ad.

To conclude…

B2B influencer marketing is more than just a trend; it’s a strategic approach that can help businesses achieve sustainable growth and success. By partnering with the right experts, B2B marketers can enhance their brand’s credibility, reach targeted audiences, and ultimately drive business growth.

A successful influencer strategy lies in collaboration, authenticity, and mutual benefit. If you’ve read this and are interested but not sure how to get started with the resource you have, get in contact with OST and we can help with all of the above.