There is a holy grail of briefs, the ultimate quest that would send shivers down the spine of any 2.0 communicator. Since the explosion of digital and social media, marketing professionals can no longer afford to ignore influencer marketing. Influencers, journalists, ambassadors: digital appears to have turned word of mouth into a business model. Who are the new opinion leaders? How do you build a long-term strategy? Some answers for B2B.
Including influencers in your strategy means reaching new audiences while adding value and credibility to your message.
« I influence, therefore I am »
Influencer marketing is now (almost) fully embedded in strategies, having been part of B2C brands' playbooks for several years already. Maintaining a conversational relationship with their audiences, they develop action plans involving customer ambassadors, influencers, bloggers and journalists.
Marketing professionals all have this empirical ratio in mind: « a message has ten times more impact when it is promoted by an independent, objective person than by the brand itself ». We see it every day: a recommendation from a trusted third party or an expert's opinion is worth more than the best marketing pitch in the world! Indeed, according to a Personality Media study (2016), companies that work with influencers increase a product's awareness by 25%.
B2B: distinctive profiles
While the approach to influencers is well defined in B2C, it necessarily differs in B2B, where market dynamics are more complex and resources less abundant. Make no mistake, influencers are harder to spot there! This is partly due to the strong inertia in the digital transformation of our sectors.
While tools exist to identify the main opinion leaders in your sector (editor's note: particularly in the building - construction - home improvement world), it is meticulous investigation and analysis of online networks that will allow you to pinpoint the most impactful relays for your audiences. Whether they are journalists, consultants, engineers or « star tradespeople »: the profiles vary. They nevertheless have one thing in common: they are all recognised for their accumulated experience as product users. They have genuine legitimacy in their sector, backed by the expertise of their trade. Brands therefore intend to leverage the influencer's reputation and network to increase the visibility of their messages, create preference, and attract and convert targeted leads.
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Pragmatically speaking, payment is no longer (systematically) part of the equation in B2B. Detached from any sponsored partnership, the approach is a noble one! It is more a matter of a long-term exchange of good practice in which both parties benefit. In return, the influencer will gain access to information and exclusive or preview content that will strengthen their expertise, their credibility and therefore their community. This implies the absolute necessity of shared values between the brand and its opinion relay.
As a reminder, there are three types of influencers:
- those who have already talked about your brand / company in the past
- those who regularly cover one of your key themes on their networks (websites, blogs, social media, private networks and circles of influence etc.)
- those who cover peripheral but related subjects
The challenge will be to identify these different profiles and determine the right strategy and angle of approach.
What role for the press?
A historic influencer in its own right, the trade press remains at the heart of the arrangement. In fact, influencer marketing can borrow a number of levers traditionally reserved for journalists. With a few adjustments to substance and form, a press release can be sent to bloggers, for example. A press lunch can become an after-work event — a less institutional format scheduled at times more accessible to professionals.
Be careful, however, not to conflate the strategies at the risk of ruffling feathers: journalists and influencers are two specific profiles requiring differentiated approaches! For the influencer, the activity is most often unpaid: a guarantee of total independence from brands.
A content strategy as an essential prerequisite
Including influencers in your strategy is a way of reaching new audiences while adding value and credibility to your message. However, bear in mind that influencer marketing and content work are inseparable! Without influence, content has only limited visibility, and therefore reduced impact. Without content, brands unfortunately cannot take part in the conversations that matter. In any case, an influence strategy is built over time and through a genuine proof-based message. It then makes it possible to deliver messages across every touchpoint between the brand and its audiences.
Betting on the recommending power of your employees and customers means turning them into « brand advocates » and therefore potential influencers.
" Brand advocacy ": create brand ambassadors
84%. That is the figure revealed by a Nielsen study (2017), corresponding to the proportion of consumers who say they trust their peers' recommendations first and foremost when choosing a product or service. As part of a specific, structured action plan, these advocates will help strengthen the company's credibility within their own circles of influence and beyond. Witness the online customer review platforms flourishing in B2B, developed by manufacturers and distributors. There is no doubt that digital has succeeded in turning the age-old " word of mouth " into a business model.