B2B marketing often leans on a sales-led approach, prioritizing products and competitive differentiators. But focusing solely on the value proposition easily overlooks the fact that there is a person at the heart of every business decision.
Today, 70% of the buying process occurs before direct buyer-seller interaction, according to the B2B Buyer Experience Report by 6sense. This puts greater focus on brand perception, which is shaped by peer feedback, online recommendations and communities.
That’s why B2B businesses need to learn to put people at the heart of their strategy -- and this is where working with influencers can prove a game-changer.
Understanding human-first
Too often, the B2B sector fails to effectively grasp what human-first means. Their narrative is usually built around numbers and proof points, with the buyer reduced to a job title. Brands need to recognize that’s no longer enough.
Studies show people trust their peers more than brands. Human influence based on emotions, experience and trust can create connections that go a lot deeper than what a brand can sell.
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It’s time for B2B brands to take a leaf out of the B2C playbook and turn to the power of influence. Partnering with trusted industry influencers allows B2B brands to tap into communities and leverage the power of peer-to-peer recommendations.
Research shows that 67% of B2B marketers believe influencer campaigns had more impact on their marketing performance than brand-only marketing, with 49% agreeing that influencers boost credibility.
Finding the right fit
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to influencer partnerships. Businesses need to find what works for them.
Look at Deloitte. Its sponsorship of WNBA taps into the star power of the WNBA players to showcase how success on the pitch is similar to success in the boardroom, celebrating female business leaders and their self-made achievements.
But successful influencer collaboration doesn’t necessarily require a massive budget or celebrities with huge followings. It’s about finding someone who can speak about your brand with authority and charisma, and who matters to your key audience. And this could be someone within the business.
Brands like IBM and Salesforce have chosen to lift up internal subject matter experts, leveraging their inherent passion and knowledge for the business. Who better to bring up the “why us” than the ones who bring it to life every day?