BtoB influence marketing

A new communication strategy in the professional world ‍

For the first impression and the less experienced, influencer marketing is a strategy that is becoming more and more present within companies.

It consists of having a brand and a content creator collaborate together.

The latter is a person who has gathered thousands of subscribers on one of the social networks (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram...), around a specific theme.

The BtoC sector has been using it for about ten years. BtoB is beginning to take an interest in it but the codes are very different.

What is BtoB influencer marketing?

Why turn to BtoB influencers?

What is the point for businesses to think of such a marketing strategy?

In this article, we give you all the keys to better understand this new trend in the professional world.

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BtoB influencer marketing in all its splendor

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When we think of influencer marketing, we often imagine young people talking to their cameras about beauty products. But it's no longer just that.

This strategy is now also of interest to companies with a professional target.

In a recent study published by TopRank In 2020, 96% of the advertisers surveyed were satisfied with their collaborations with BtoB influencers.

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More generally, influencer marketing has proven its worth for years.

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Looking at the numbers more closely, businesses should invest $15 billion in the sector in 2022.

To give you an idea of the explosion of this practice, in 2019, the investment was “only” 6.5 billion dollars.

If advertisers are more and more inclined to turn to influencer marketing, it is in particular for ROI.

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The average return on investment for $1 invested is $6.50. Faced with such results, why not give it a try?

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BtoB influence marketing has adapted to the new communication codes of the BtoC sector.

Advertisers who want to get their messages out to as many people as possible also surround themselves with opinion leaders. The latter are known on social networks for their expertise in a particular field. It can be human relationships, management, copywriting or even business.

They don't express themselves on Instagram or TikTok, but prefer LINKEDIN.

Within the label Les Années Folles, it is possible to find young talents who have favored the Linkedin network, such as Inès Sivignon, freelance writer and trainer.

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To make businesses more visible on the social network, she is available to create all types of content on the platform (posts, articles and even stories) but also to host conferences and support advertisers with editorial work.

To unite the people who follow her, Inés Sivignon is present in stories on LinkedIn daily and shares “Post Linkedin” content regularly to help her nearly 30,000 contacts avoid certain too common spelling mistakes or to help them create content on the web.

These posts are loved by hundreds of people and viewed by thousands.

Inès regularly speaks about another theme that is close to her heart, such as the daily life of a young freelancer.

Contents by Ines Sivignon

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Other highly visible Top Voices profiles evolve within the label, such as micro-influencers who are experts in technical issues in certain areas of activity affecting decision-makers.

Profiles like Guillaume Attias TEDx speaker in particular, expert in Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences applied to decision-making processes.

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He regularly publishes Linkedin content about behavioral science.

The BtoB influencer gives his point of view on topics such as human behavior, stress/sleep/thoughts/customer experience/biases...

More than 13,000 decision-makers follow its news, which is a real source of information.

Content by Guillaume Attias

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Influence BtoC vs Influence BtoB

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In BtoC, the topics covered are not the same.

Influencers will rather focus on general public themes such as fashion, beauty or sport.

Collaborations can be done from one week to the next.

Sometimes, live stories are preferred to give more authenticity to the statements.

But in BtoB, it is more complicated to consider such rapid campaigns. The messages need to be worked on a bit further in advance before launching the partnership.

So there is no question of reproducing the same pattern as more lifestyle businesses because it would not work as well.

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Here's why:

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• The advertisers who will solicit BtoB influencers will talk to professionals and not to the general public. It is possible to mention ergonomic equipment companies to work better, solutions to manage sales or even marketing tools. To talk about them, ambassadors have to test them, which can take a long time. You also need to think about the best way to communicate to interest as many people as possible.

• Messages from opinion leaders will be addressed to decision-makers. They must therefore be structured and worked on to popularize an idea. The aim is to inform, train and/or inspire them. There is no question of sharing information that they have already read 20 times.

• The aim of the business is not just to sell. It also aims to establish its reputation in a particular field, to position itself as an expert over time and to get a message across. The background of the campaign must be worked on and analyzed to imagine the best device.

A communication strategy focused mainly on LinkedIn in France

Another aspect differentiates these opinion leaders from influencers working in BtoC. They don't express themselves on Instagram.

These content creators preferred LinkedIn to Facebook applications.

Why?

Because their content is aimed at professionals.

It is the most popular platform that makes it easy to connect different executives in the same branch of activity. This is reflected in the average age of users.

Unlike social networks like Instagram or TikTok, where the profiles are very young, on LinkedIn 79% of members are over 34, according to data shared by The moderator's blog. The average age is 44.

Today in France, LinkedIn has 23 million registered accounts, or 69% of the active population, specifies Fabienne Arata, LinkedIn Country Manager France, Aux Echos.

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2.2 million people check their profiles at least once a day.

10.7 million people do it every month. 840,000 French companies have opened a page there.

81% of BtoB marketers are present there. This constantly growing audience is interested in the thoughts shared by other experts and is informed by this means on a daily basis.

LinkedIn France led a study alongside the CSA in March 2020. Since the first lockdown, 25% of users of the social network have opened the application to keep up to date with the activity of their company or their professional sector.

22% come there to find information concerning the specific situation of their profession or sector with regard to the Covid-19 crisis. Finally, 20% of them communicate themselves about their activity or that of their company.

These speeches are not going to be read by just anyone. They are generally senior managers. The social network is therefore the key element to speak out when carrying out an influence marketing campaign for professionals.

Why collaborate with BtoB influencers?

As you will have understood, BtoB influencers know how to talk to well-placed market players.

They brought together tens of thousands of people around a theme.

They speak out daily to inform their subscribers but also to train them on the latest trends and news. Advertisers will generally use their services to reach this audience that their teams cannot normally capture.

The particularities of a BtoB influencer

In BtoB, influencer rhymes with expertise. On LinkedIn, the most popular professionals have been working in their sector for fifteen or even twenty years. So they know the subjects like the back of their hand. This expertise is a real advantage for companies that will seek them out. In addition to gaining visibility, they will be able to get advice.

Some personalities like Amélie Favre Guittet or Roseline Laloupe Who are represented by the label The Roaring Twenties, are even recognized beyond their communities and their sector of activity. Through its Top Voices ranking, LinkedIn highlights them.

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As mentioned earlier in this article, these influencers will express themselves on professional topics, namely marketing, social media or even human relationships. Whatever the subject, these personalities are empowered to think about the messages on LinkedIn. They know how to highlight the values of the company in a story, in a blog post, during a video or even when speaking at an event.

Their content is of interest to thousands of people. For example, Amélie Favre Guittet is followed by more than 200,000 people.

For their subscribers, why is it interesting to be interested in the content of a BtoB influencer?

In a recent study conducted by CMIT about influencer marketing in the professional world, the question was asked to them. 84.7% follow a BtoB influencer to stay informed of the latest trends.

82.9% think that it is a watch on very specific topics.

For 44.7%, it is a tool to fuel their curation.

This is followed by collecting an opinion on a product (15.3%), having exclusivities (11.8%), obtaining promotional codes (2.4%) and participating in contests (1.2%).

Linkedin influence: Brand image, reputation, visibility...

Businesses therefore have every interest in soliciting these opinion leaders for their expertise and their commitment to their community. Their communication will thus be embodied by a person who has already won the trust of his subscribers. To do this, they must first of all surround themselves with the right ambassador.

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He must:

• sharing the same values as the brand,
• have the audience targeted by the advertiser,
• have a good engagement rate on the topics addressed by the company,
• have some freedom in collaboration to get the message across in the best possible way.

This collaboration can be imagined around the same axis: the creation of content. In 87% of cases, the partnerships made use of this strategy, according to a study conducted by Onalytica who interviewed 350 BtoB influencers.

It could be a blog post (83%) or a video (67%).

Influencers may also be invited to participate in an event. 68% appreciate being invited and 56% like to be part of a debate or discussion.

During these speeches, opinion leaders are often required to educate their audience on a specific subject (75%), but also to amplify the reach of an event or content (70%). In BtoB influencer marketing, brands believe that these collaborations above all help them improve brandawarness (84%).

Why is influencer marketing a real opportunity for BtoB?

Imagining a BtoB influencer marketing campaign requires time and thought. Unlike the BtoC sector, opinion leaders will above all share a message. For it to interest and reach the targeted professionals, the influencer, the brand and its agency will have to work on it. Together, they will co-build the campaign, taking care not to compromise the expertise of the content creator and to convey the values of the company.

By turning to this strategy, the company will benefit from numerous advantages:

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• The expertise of the influencer who will support him to best communicate with a target. Thanks to his background of fifteen years or more, he will also be able to advise her on aspects of her business outside of collaboration.

• His message will be amplified thanks to the popularity of the influencer and worked to interest the greatest number of professionals.

• It will improve its engagement with its customers since it will get closer to them and become more accessible through the influencer's words.

• His communication will be embodied by a recognized opinion leader in his field.

BtoB influence marketing is still in its infancy in France but could well explode in the coming months.

HR firms such as RH performances, companies in real estate, food delivery or even an anti-wave patch company are already using the Les Années Folles label to put them in contact with BtoB Linkedin influencers.

For a collaboration of this type to work, it must be part of a more global marketing and communication strategy. The brief is the heart of the partnership and must be worked on in consultation with the influencer.

A BtoB campaign requires thought, a clear and precise objective as well as the search for the ideal ambassador. The results will only be more effective.

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And you, when do you start?