What Does B2B Influencer Marketing Look Like In 2025?
The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report showed that 86% of consumers trust influencers during their decision-making process. A social media influencer marketing strategy is the future of internet marketing, as you can leave it to them to advertise your product, meaning fewer campaigns from your side. B2B marketers are now searching for niche influencers who are well-known and admired by their audience. Influencer marketing usually merges with affiliate marketing to incentivize thought leaders for their effort and results. Alternatively, you pay for their services based on each project and service provided.
B2B brands that invest in growth hacking strategies don't focus on wide-reaching influencers with millions of followers. They typically focus on micro-influencer campaigns since smaller influencers likely have a much more targeted audience base that is aligned with your industry. Not only that, but these people usually have a much closer relationship with their audience thanks to the limited size of their communities.
In This Guide, You Will Find...
- B2B vs B2C: How SaaS Influencer Strategies Differ
- 5-Step Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy Tailored To SaaS Vendors
- Influencer Tactics That Work For EdTech And HR Tech
- Quick And Effective ROI Measurement Formula For Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy
- 3 Real-World B2B SaaS Influencer Campaigns
- Common Pitfalls You Should Avoid
- Tools And Platforms To Speed Up Your Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy
B2B Vs. B2C: How SaaS Influencer Strategies Differ
We've all seen thousands of B2C influencer marketing examples: a famous person telling their followers how amazing a product is, and if they purchase it, they will get 10% off. B2C influencers don't have to be Subject Matter Experts to promote a product. Kim Kardashian isn't a hairstylist, but she will easily boost sales for a relevant product with just a single post or story. However, B2B influencer advertising doesn't work the same way. Targeting uber-famous, industry-irrelevant people won't help your SaaS growth strategies that much.
B2B influencers should be Subject Matter Experts in your industry. For instance, Cathy Moore, Josh Bersin, and Christopher Pappas are eLearning experts whom thousands of people follow for their unique insights. So, if you want to promote your LMS, authoring tools, or online course, you are more likely to increase your buyers by collaborating with these thought leaders.
Additionally, B2B digital influencer marketing is more like a partnership. You don't simply send an influencer a message asking them to promote your product for a fee. You try to figure out whether they are a good fit for your brand and cultivate a long-term relationship. Unfortunately, not everyone has the excellent content creation skills of C. Pappas to craft an exclusive article for you, having written articles for companies like Adobe, Docebo, and SweetRush.
5-Step Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy Tailored To SaaS Vendors
1. Set KPI-Aligned Goals
Your social media influencer marketing strategy starts with setting your goals. What do you want to achieve through your B2B influencer strategy? Maybe you want to expand to a new audience, introduce a new product, or become an influencer in your current niche and demographic. Whatever your objectives, you must connect them to specific KPIs and metrics that help you understand whether you've reached your goals. For example, if you want to amplify your voice and present yourself as a thought leader, a sponsored podcast with an established eLearning figure may be ideal.
On the other hand, if you want to break into new demographics, you should focus on acquiring brand advocates who regularly talk nicely about your product. During this process, keep tracking and analyzing customer feedback to see what works well and when prospects drop off. Whatever your goal, approach it with time-specific, measurable objectives. For instance, if you want to reduce your customer acquisition cost (CAC), you may say that you want to do it by 10% within the next quarter.
2. Find Influencers
Once you know what you want to achieve, it's easier to search for the right influencers. Also, it's best to know who your ideal buyer persona is, what they are searching for, and who they follow online. For example, if you are in the HR tech field, you might notice that many people follow Jenny Podewils, Anthony Onesto, and Ben Eubanks. These people aren't only good at sharing inspiring posts. They might also be interested in partnering with you to promote your innovative solution.
A simple "top [industry] influencers" on Google helps you discover well-respected names you can leverage. However, don't just message these influencers right away. Do some digging to understand which topics they usually talk about to ensure their audience is interested in what you have to offer. For example, an influencer may be talking mostly about company culture and ethics and not so much about payroll or employee engagement software.
3. Set A Budget
A SaaS influencer marketing strategy needs a well-defined budget and payment structure. Spend some time to understand how much influencers typically charge based on the number of followers and the platform. For example, on Facebook, they usually charge $20 per 1000 followers, while on X, it's $2 per 1000 followers. This way, you can set your budget as accurately as possible, knowing where your potential high-quality business leads spend more time. But before you choose a platform for influencer lead gen, check your engagement stats on each one. Maybe on LinkedIn your audience is much more engaged than on Instagram.
Then, you should provide clarity regarding your payment structure. How much will you pay for each project, and how will you define success? For instance, compare how much a video would cost if you were to create it versus if your influencers created it. And that's not all. You should consider other factors, too, including exclusivity clauses in case you don't want your influencers to work with your competitors. Campaign length, number of channels used, influencer tier, and content types also play a significant role in your budget.
4. Co-Create Content
Your social media influencer marketing strategy is part of your overall social media strategy, and it should be crystal clear for everyone involved, from your internal team to your chosen influencers. So, start by creating a campaign brief and setting goals, expectations, and objectives. Then, start engaging with potential influencers online by liking, commenting, and sharing their content. Make your interactions genuine so you build rapport. It will be much easier to send them a DM or a professional email once you're ready to make your pitch.
Now, it's time to create some content. Sector-specific influencers know very well who they are talking to and what their preferences and interests are. Offer your brand values, key messaging, and goals, and let them create content that speaks to people's hearts and minds. Keep oversight of the project without micromanaging influencers' work.
5. Launch And Manage
Before launching your promotional campaign, ensure everything is in place. Check that all links work, tracking codes are operational, everyone is aware of their responsibilities, landing pages are ready to welcome visitors, and your customer service team knows all key aspects. Also, check if your launch timeline aligns with the influencer's upload schedule and upload on all platforms at the same time to drive excitement. Once your content is live, stay in close communication with your trust-building influencers to make adjustments if needed.
Once the posts are uploaded, start answering people's comments and engage in authentic conversations. Yes, the influencer will do that too, but you can amplify your reach if you also engage in conversation.
Influencer Tactics That Work For EdTech And HR Tech
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Choose Subject Matter Experts
Sometimes you may feel torn between choosing a creator or an industry expert. In reality, you need both someone who knows your industry well and can create outstanding content. In the EdTech niche, focus on educators, academic instructors, and online coaches with a strong online presence and authentic audiences. Check their written content and videos to ensure their style and knowledge are what you need.
Maybe they are thought leaders, but their recording and editing abilities are poor. In this case, you may need to offer them guidance or help them film and edit their videos.
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Focus On Providing Value
Content marketing for B2B was always about providing value and thought leadership. Instead of asking your branded content influencers to focus on product features and technicalities, ask them to make the content feel like an educational journey. For example, if you want to promote your time tracking software, they can tell people which hurdles it solves and how much faster tracking their daily tasks is. They may also create an explainer video highlighting the ease of use.
Or, if you have an eLearning course to promote, don't rely on modules and all the amazing gamification features you may have included. Make it all about the outcomes learners should expect and how their work will be enhanced. Tell them how much easier they'll be able to land a new job if they complete your course.
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Create Strategic Content
An HR tech influencer marketing strategy should be as strategic as it gets, with content that addresses common pain points and hurdles faced by HR pros. Webinar marketing can help you deliver instructional content and tips that show people how they can overcome their issues. This is also an opportunity to meet your potential buyers and engage with them authentically, knowing what they need. Podcast marketing is another way you can leverage influencers. If they have their own podcast, you can record an episode where they interview you, giving you the opportunity to showcase thought leadership.
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Use A Mix Of Content Length
Depending on the platform, you can request various lengths for content. For example, YouTube videos can be longer, going deeper into your product features and functionality. They may be explainers, how-to guides, Q&A videos, and demos. You can also use your Q&A videos and turn them into long-form articles to publish on your website. Additionally, on Instagram Reels, Facebook, and LinkedIn, you can share quick success stories narrated by learners and HR tech buyers.
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Show Results
Your influencer marketing strategy should focus on customer case studies, learner results, and testimonials that showcase the value of your product. You can provide all these resources to your marketing influencer and ask them to incorporate them into their content. For example, if they are talking about the value of your eLearning course, they may also share how a learner's grades improved after completing it. Or if they are promoting your payroll software, they can discuss how much faster your client processes payroll now compared to the past.
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Make It Seasonal
Your EdTech influencer approach should focus on delivering timely and seasonal campaigns depending on exam dates, college admissions, and back-to-school seasons. A good influencer post and video can significantly increase your college submission rates, helping you increase your revenue. Also, when an influencer praises your online course, students who are having trouble delivering their end-of-semester paper may enroll to leverage your expert tips and knowledge.
Quick And Effective ROI Measurement Formula For Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy
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Collect Your Data
Thought leadership marketing relies on data like engagement rates, conversions, sales numbers, and marketing costs.
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Choose Attribution Strategies
You need to understand which engagement activities lead to conversions and increased sales. For example, someone may start with a simple post comment and then proceed to send you a direct message asking to speak to a sales representative. UTMs, affiliate links, promo codes, and analytics can help you track these activities.
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Calculate The Revenue And Cost
How much money did you spend on campaigns, influencer fees, and other management costs? This number should be lower than the number of sales. Otherwise, your ROI will be negative.
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Calculate ROI
To calculate your influencer marketing ROI, use this formula: (Total Revenue – Total Costs) / Total Costs) x 100 = ROI. The higher the number, the more successful your campaigns are. However, don't pay attention only to this number. Keep track of your customer lifetime value and the long-term behavior of your customer base.
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Optimize Your Process
Based on your data, you might need to make changes and improvements in your messaging, content delivery, and platforms. So, keep checking your analytics and invest in iterative testing to optimize your marketing efforts.
3 Real-World B2B SaaS Influencer Campaigns
1. Dell
Dell masterfully created a social media influencer marketing strategy using the power of podcasts. The "Trailblazers" podcast sheds light on stories of technological innovation, narrated by CNN CEO Walter Isaacson. Dell wasn't really mentioned in any of the stories, but it was featured as a sponsor. In the episodes, Isaacson discusses the impact of technology on various industries.
But why was this idea successful? Isaacson is a well-respected figure in the tech world, having written Steve Jobs' biography in 2011. This way, Dell took advantage of Isaacson's vast network of connections and admirers to boost credibility, trust, and loyalty. The company was advertised in the least salesy way.
How You Can Do It
You can easily leverage this tactic by creating a sponsored podcast with an influential eLearning or HR tech brand. For example, eLearning Industry offers sponsored podcasts, where both eLI's and your branding are included. We just ask you the questions, and you sound off on your expertise.
2. SAP
SAP is known as a leader in application software with a large network of customers. The company has always included influencer marketing tactics as part of its overall social media marketing strategy. They've worked with countless thought leaders and field experts to expand their reach and boost credibility. Their method is inviting niche influencers to their live events and encouraging them to live-stream the whole conference.
Once, in Germany, they invited five popular influencers to get on the stage and talk about tech-related matters, including machine learning and the internet of things (IoT). The result? Just these influencers' presence drove social media mentions by 50%, while the event was trending on the news for two days.
How You Can Do It
It's very easy to follow the same strategy in the EdTech and HR tech fields. It doesn't have to be at a local conference. Even if you are organizing an online event, you can invite industry-specific influencers to attend and post about it. Or you can opt for a premium webinar with eLearning Industry and take advantage of our wide audience base.
3. GE
GE is recognized more as a B2C company, selling washers, dryers, and vacuums. However, the company also has a B2B formula, targeting customers who need wind turbines and jet engines. They often work with Instagram influencers, and their profile is known for its creative posts. They do this a lot for their B2C customers, and they decided to do the same for their B2B reach.
GE's influencer marketing approach was very simple. They invited five niche-specific influencers to their manufacturing facilities for a tour around the premises. They also created a special hashtag, #GEInstaWalk, to accompany posts. The idea was simple, and the result amazing. GE gained 3000 new followers while its Instagram profile was viewed 8 million times.
How You Can Do It
Imagine you have one of the best AI courses and you need to market it. Find popular social media influencers in both the AI and eLearning niches. Ask them to take the course and run their followers through their entire experience, including a special hashtag.
Common Pitfalls You Should Avoid
Your social media influencer marketing strategy will not perform optimally if you fail to set goals and KPIs. You don't forget to measure your marketing performance, do you? So, why would you avoid measuring specific metrics connected to influencer marketing? For instance, if your goal is to break into the HR tech field, you should identify influencers with a strong presence and following on social media so they can help you attract targeted leads. Then, let them know which numbers you are running after so they know what the overall goal is. Benchmarks also help them in achieving what you agreed upon.
Additionally, don't fall into the trap of prioritizing sector-specific influencers who have a large number of followers but limited engagement. Who will bring in more leads? Someone who engages 55% of their 10,000 followers or someone who engages 5% of their 50,000 followers? So, while you're doing your research, check whether influencers are legit. Sometimes, people pay for their followers, creating a fake representation of their influence.
Moreover, among the top digital marketing tips and tricks we can offer you is to create detailed briefs. Give social media influencers the information they need to perform their duties and deliver the best results possible. Also, don't micromanage their every move. Give them creative freedom to shine and boost your brand's image.
Tools And Platforms To Speed Up Your Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategy
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Identify The Right Influencers
A few of the best tools are: BuzzSumo, Impulze.ai, Traackr, TrendHero, LinkedIn, Neoreach, and Mavrck.
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Campaign Management And Analytics
A few of the best tools are: GRIN, Brandwatch, Tagger, Awario, Meltwater, and Aspire.
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Payment Features
A few of the best tools are: Upfluence, HypeAuditor, Influencity, IZEA, and Klear.
Key Takeaway
Are you ready to craft your very own social media influencer marketing strategy and attract new leads thanks to the power of influencers? As the concept of influencer marketing is evolving and B2B companies realize that it's not simply a B2C tactic, it's in your hands to incorporate it into your online marketing. However, B2B influencer marketing needs more than just people with millions of followers. It requires sector-specific influencers who know their audience more than anyone and whose word shapes buyer decisions.
So, set your KPI-specific goals and your budget, identify the right experts, and communicate clearly, defining success metrics. Focus on content that provides educational value, and let your thought leaders create content that resonates with their followers. Ensure the content aligns with your company values and culture, and maintain open communication with your influencers.
If you want to leverage eLearning Industry's influence, book a free strategy call, and we will help you understand which of our solutions can help you reach targeted leads.
