B2B companies are increasingly recognizing the value of influencer marketing in their efforts to reach and engage their target audience, and are investing more in influencer marketing campaigns on social media.
B2B influencers can help companies increase their brand awareness, credibility, and authority, and can also help drive lead generation and sales. As a result, we’ve seen more B2B companies partnering with influencers to create content, promote their products or services, and engage their target audiences. We’re noticing a lot of these B2B influencers on LinkedIn this year, and we’ve even created guides to help thought leaders take full advantage of their social media platforms.
When considering an influencer for a B2B campaign, there are several factors to take into account to ensure they are the right fit for your brand and campaign goals. Here are some tips to help you along the evaluation process:
Does the influencer’s niche and expertise align with the target audience you’re trying to target for your campaign? B2B influencers are likely thought leaders within their industry and should have a following that consists of the decision makers or buyers that would be interested in your product or service.
While many influencers could be attractive to use at first glance of their following, the more important factor is looking at their engagement rate. Do they have a good comment, like, or share ratio on their posts for their number of followers? It’s important to avoid working with an influencer who has a fake audience (ie: bots), or an audience that is not truly engaged in the influencer’s content.
Research the influencer’s reputation in the industry and among their followers. Check through their comments across their social platforms to make sure they haven’t been involved in any controversial conversations that you wouldn’t want to align your brand with.
If you have access to their metrics or are able to have the conversation beforehand, ask for their media kit with their average post impressions, engagement rate, or clicks (read more about the important metrics to track here ). This is a great tactic to use so that you can project estimated targets for your campaign. You can also use websites like hashtagify.me that will share the top influencers for a certain topic on Twitter, and their average reach for posts.
Authenticity and transparency is the key to social media, which goes the same for working with influencers. Be sure to check if the influencer's values and messaging align with your brand.
By considering these factors, you can choose an influencer who is the right fit for your B2B campaign and can help you effectively reach your target audience. Influencer marketing on social media is still a new space for B2B brands, but it’s a fresh way to connect with your audience or attract new audiences.
Once you’ve finished evaluating your influencers, it’s time for outreach. Here are our three recommended steps to take before contacting an influencer . We wish you luck in your social media influencer endeavors!
For more information about using influencer marketing as part of your B2B social media campaigns, reach out to us at hello@brandglue.com .