A research report on the state of B2B influencer marketing in 2022 and beyond.
According to the report, Influencer marketing works for the vast majority of marketers.
Research from Lee Odden’s TopRank Marketing blog shows that 86% of B2B brands are successful with influencer marketing.
Through influencer marketing, B2B brands are achieving results ranging from increased brand awareness and reputation to direct increases in sales.
One-third of businesses report that influencer marketing has resulted in increased revenue, and 85% believe interest in influencer work will increase in the next 12 months.
The report answers questions about best practices and technology, must-have B2B influencer qualities and identifies key areas for future growth. Is B2B marketing working?
The maturation of B2B marketing is similar to the evolution of content marketing in recent years.
After succeeding in one-time efforts, many brands are now incorporating influencer marketing into their long-term strategies.
The study explores B2B marketing and communications professionals about their results with influencer marketing:
86% say it has been moderately or very successful
72% say it has helped improve brand reputation
70% say it has increased brand awareness
56% say it helped generate new leads
33% say it was a source of direct revenue
Who is a B2B influencer?
How do you know if someone is authentic, trustworthy and trustworthy enough to partner as a B2B Influencer?
According to the report, you need to go beyond vanity metrics like followers and subscribers.
“Audience size matters less than audience relevance. The sheer number of followers isn’t as important to marketers as relevance, credibility and experience. People with large audiences can help with campaign reach, but it’s vital to include more influential people with smaller audiences.”
When asked about the influencers they collaborate with, B2B marketers and communications professionals responded:
Industry experts and analysts (77%)
Internal executives (56%)
Niche experts (48%)
Customers (46%)
Professional experts (45 percent)
Employees (42 percent)
Prospects (12 percent).
The best qualities of a B2B Influencer
To learn more about the best qualities of a B2B Influencer, TopRank Marketing asked respondents to classify the list of qualities as Essential, Nice to Have or Not Important.
The results were as follows:
Essential to the audience (98%).
Audience deemed them trustworthy (87%)
Expertise on specific issues (78%)
Values are consistent with the brand (69%)
Influencer publishes on at least one platform (65%)
Ability to create content (54%)
Audience numbers (49%)
Professional credentials (42 percent)
Advocate for our brand (33%)
The most effective content types for B2B marketing
Types of respondents in the content survey
find the most effective show the trend toward interactive and multimedia collaboration.
Blog posts topped the list in the latest report. In 2022, webinars are a clear favorite.
When asked what types of content are preferred in the current B2B marketing climate, respondents said:
Webinars (81%).
Social media (74%)
Blog posts (71%)
Video recording (67%)
Interviews (62 percent)
Podcasts (52%)
Live videos (48%)
Case studies (38%)
Industry (33%)
Interactive content (31%)
Third-party analytics (29%)
Social audio (22%)
Infographics (17%)
Best B2B influencer opportunities.
While the B2B marketing space is maturing, there is still plenty of room for growth.
When asked about the influencers they partner with, B2B marketers and communications professionals responded:
Industry experts and analysts (77%)
Internal executives (56%)
Niche experts (48%)
Customers (46%)
Professional experts (45 percent)
Employees (42 percent)
Prospects (12 percent).
The best qualities of a B2B Influencer
To learn more about the best qualities of a B2B Influencer, TopRank Marketing asked respondents to classify the list of qualities as Essential, Nice to Have or Not Important.
The results were as follows:
Essential to the audience (98%).
Audience deemed them trustworthy (87%)
Expertise on specific issues (78%)
Values are consistent with the brand (69%)
Influencer publishes on at least one platform (65%)
Ability to create content (54%)
Audience numbers (49%)
Professional credentials (42 percent)
Advocate for our brand (33%)
The most effective content types for B2B marketing
Types of respondents in the content survey
find the most effective show the trend toward interactive and multimedia collaboration.
Blog posts topped the list in the last report. In 2022, webinars are the clear favorite.
When asked what types of content are preferred in the current B2B marketing climate, respondents said:
Webinars (81%).
Social media (74%)
Blog posts (71%)
Video recording (67%)
Interviews (62 percent)
Podcasts (52%)
Live videos (48%)
Case studies (38%)
Industry (33%)
Interactive content (31%)
Third-party analytics (29%)
Social audio (22%)
Infographics (17%)
Best B2B influencer opportunities.
While the B2B marketing space is maturing, there is still plenty of room for growth.
The report concludes that the biggest opportunities are in strategy development:
Less than half of B2B marketers say they have a documented impact strategy
28% of businesses say they have an undocumented/informal strategy
25% say they have no strategy
