Growth Opportunities for Global B2B Influencer Marketing

Business-to-business (B2B) influencer marketing has the potential to generate $11.7 billion in revenue by the end of 2022, with more than 38% of B2B companies currently exploring influencer marketing as a new lead-generation avenue. Influencer marketing is set to become a mainstream approach for B2B companies that are looking to tap into the power of social media and content marketing. Frost & Sullivan recognizes that demographic influence will play an increasingly important role in adoption of B2B influencer marketing. Within the next decade, more of the millennial and gen Z population will enter middle/top level management roles within organizations, and their buying behaviors will drive business decisions and increase investment in B2B influencer marketing strategies. KEY TREND OPPORTUNITY LEVERS: The ultimate goal for B2B marketers is generating leads and sales. Content marketing has taken center stage for B2B marketers in the lead-generation process. Involving influencers in content marketing will not only drive demand but also result in higher customer engagement for the marketing program. GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES CRITICAL TO FUTURE SUCCESS: Power of Employee Advocacy An influencer marketing program that is run solely by the marketing department operates in a silo, and its scope of influence is limited. In contrast, an employee advocacy program that is linked with an influencer marketing program can provide the true essence of brand promotion. Employees are the key stakeholders of a brand’s reputation in the marketplace. Always-on Influencer Program Most companies have legacy influencer marketing programs previously used in public relations (PR) and augmented reality (AR) activities managing journalists and external analysts. The fastest way to orient an influencer marketing program is to integrate the tasks into other business-as-usual marketing activities. Data-driven Content Creation Data-driven content creation can customize messaging to consumers and deliver remarkable results. Influencer marketing platforms can use algorithmic data to find the best content type and form based on the target audience. Once this is identified, the platform can tether the approach to the perfect influencer. Partnering with an influencer marketing platform that uses data-driven pricing models ensures that companies are not over-paying their influencers and are receiving maximum value for their influencer budget.