The potential and challenges of Influencer marketing in B2B: insights from the BBN 2024 annual meeting
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 7:03 am
q
At the BBN Annual Meeting in Barcelona, we had the opportunity to attend an inspiring panel on the impact of influencer marketing on B2B. The event brought together leaders from Park & Battery, Bader Rutter and LinkedIn, each bringing practical perspectives on how influencers can transform a B2B brand’s strategy. Throughout the discussions, it became clear that we are dealing with a new phase of B2B, where influence is built on trust and authenticity, not just impact and visibility.
The new face of LinkedIn
One of the points that caught my attention the most was the speech by Rafaella Vota, Global Creative Agency Lead at LinkedIn. She highlighted a fact that has been shaping the platform's strategies: Generation Z is the fastest-growing segment among LinkedIn users in the United States, with a 70% increase in engagement since 2020.
This younger audience brings with it a new way of communicating, which cambodia whatsapp number database light and dynamic content. That's why LinkedIn is increasingly focusing on videos and informal approaches, with influencers who actually have something to say.
For Rafaella, in B2B, the ideal influencers are not necessarily those who have the channels with the most followers, but rather “thought leaders ” — people with in-depth knowledge in their areas and the ability to generate value for the public.
According to her, internal studies by the platform show that 53% of an influencer's value on LinkedIn comes precisely from their experience and authority on the subject. This perspective reinforces how authenticity and expertise are at the heart of a good B2B influence strategy.
Niche Influencers: Strategies that Generate Value
Ted Kohnen, CEO of award-winning agency Park & Battery, brought us an insight that we consider crucial for any B2B brand. He talked about a campaign they developed for Squire Bank. In this campaign, the challenge was to position the bank as the best option for lawyers.
The team opted for an approach that included niche influencers – professionals who, despite not having millions of followers, enjoy authority and respect in their fields. The initiative focused on top lawyers, positioning them as influencers and creating an emotional campaign that celebrates the entire category, reinforcing the bank as the most relevant choice for the sector. With this approach, the bank achieved solid results and connected with new clients.
bbn
(Squire Bank | Campaign)
It’s interesting to think that influencer marketing in B2B can (and should) go beyond social media. As Ted pointed out, conferences, expert articles and even newspaper columns are equally effective channels for connecting a brand with its audience in an authentic way.
This multichannel approach is something that we value greatly at Agência Sabiá, as it allows the message to reach the right audience at the right time.
McCain Food Service Case: Integration to Expand Results
Another highlight of the panel was the award-winning McCain Mini Mashers™ case study, presented by Ned from Bader Rutter Agency. The campaign was based on a chefs’ battle for the best recipe and needed to orchestrate online, offline and event channels to be truly successful.
bbn
He explained how it was necessary to redesign the agency's internal flows and think about how collaboration would work so that teams such as PR, social networks, media and creative content could work fluidly.
According to him, for a campaign of this size to work, each area of the agency needs to be completely aligned, ensuring that the message is cohesive across all points of contact.
The strategic choice of influencers
Another important lesson is about the influencer selection process. In one of the cases discussed, Ned shared how research revealed that a potential influencer had a controversial background, which could jeopardize the entire campaign.
Ted shared that in another campaign it was necessary to remove an influencer from the plan due to behavior displayed online, and how the action only survived because it was not totally dependent on this specific influencer.
Another important point discussed was the need to have a “Plan B” in case the chosen influencers prove to be unviable due to some inconvenient action.
B2B Influencers: Many Opportunities and Challenges
The panel at the BBN 2024 Annual Meeting made it clear that influencer marketing in B2B requires its own approach, distinct from B2C strategies.
For brands, this means seeing the influencer not just as someone with a large following, but as a voice of relevance and credibility, capable of building genuine connections with the public.
At the BBN Annual Meeting in Barcelona, we had the opportunity to attend an inspiring panel on the impact of influencer marketing on B2B. The event brought together leaders from Park & Battery, Bader Rutter and LinkedIn, each bringing practical perspectives on how influencers can transform a B2B brand’s strategy. Throughout the discussions, it became clear that we are dealing with a new phase of B2B, where influence is built on trust and authenticity, not just impact and visibility.
The new face of LinkedIn
One of the points that caught my attention the most was the speech by Rafaella Vota, Global Creative Agency Lead at LinkedIn. She highlighted a fact that has been shaping the platform's strategies: Generation Z is the fastest-growing segment among LinkedIn users in the United States, with a 70% increase in engagement since 2020.
This younger audience brings with it a new way of communicating, which cambodia whatsapp number database light and dynamic content. That's why LinkedIn is increasingly focusing on videos and informal approaches, with influencers who actually have something to say.
For Rafaella, in B2B, the ideal influencers are not necessarily those who have the channels with the most followers, but rather “thought leaders ” — people with in-depth knowledge in their areas and the ability to generate value for the public.
According to her, internal studies by the platform show that 53% of an influencer's value on LinkedIn comes precisely from their experience and authority on the subject. This perspective reinforces how authenticity and expertise are at the heart of a good B2B influence strategy.
Niche Influencers: Strategies that Generate Value
Ted Kohnen, CEO of award-winning agency Park & Battery, brought us an insight that we consider crucial for any B2B brand. He talked about a campaign they developed for Squire Bank. In this campaign, the challenge was to position the bank as the best option for lawyers.
The team opted for an approach that included niche influencers – professionals who, despite not having millions of followers, enjoy authority and respect in their fields. The initiative focused on top lawyers, positioning them as influencers and creating an emotional campaign that celebrates the entire category, reinforcing the bank as the most relevant choice for the sector. With this approach, the bank achieved solid results and connected with new clients.
bbn
(Squire Bank | Campaign)
It’s interesting to think that influencer marketing in B2B can (and should) go beyond social media. As Ted pointed out, conferences, expert articles and even newspaper columns are equally effective channels for connecting a brand with its audience in an authentic way.
This multichannel approach is something that we value greatly at Agência Sabiá, as it allows the message to reach the right audience at the right time.
McCain Food Service Case: Integration to Expand Results
Another highlight of the panel was the award-winning McCain Mini Mashers™ case study, presented by Ned from Bader Rutter Agency. The campaign was based on a chefs’ battle for the best recipe and needed to orchestrate online, offline and event channels to be truly successful.
bbn
He explained how it was necessary to redesign the agency's internal flows and think about how collaboration would work so that teams such as PR, social networks, media and creative content could work fluidly.
According to him, for a campaign of this size to work, each area of the agency needs to be completely aligned, ensuring that the message is cohesive across all points of contact.
The strategic choice of influencers
Another important lesson is about the influencer selection process. In one of the cases discussed, Ned shared how research revealed that a potential influencer had a controversial background, which could jeopardize the entire campaign.
Ted shared that in another campaign it was necessary to remove an influencer from the plan due to behavior displayed online, and how the action only survived because it was not totally dependent on this specific influencer.
Another important point discussed was the need to have a “Plan B” in case the chosen influencers prove to be unviable due to some inconvenient action.
B2B Influencers: Many Opportunities and Challenges
The panel at the BBN 2024 Annual Meeting made it clear that influencer marketing in B2B requires its own approach, distinct from B2C strategies.
For brands, this means seeing the influencer not just as someone with a large following, but as a voice of relevance and credibility, capable of building genuine connections with the public.