What makes B2B and B2C influencer marketing different?

A great way to sum it up is this way: B2B influencer marketing often leans into industry experts and thought leaders. B2C has more success with celebrities and micro and macro social media influencers.

In BTC Influencer Marketing, the emphasis is frequently on goods and services with broad appeal. In the B2C space, influencers usually have wider, more varied followings and frequently draw attention to the sentimental or lifestyle elements of a business. B2B influencer marketing focuses are on providing unique business difficulties with solutions, industry experience, and thought leadership. B2B influencers typically display their subject-matter knowledge and have a smaller, more focused following.

B2B is selling to yourself, B2C is selling to the customer. Businesses do not need an emotive journey to their purchasing experience, if they don't bite do force it. B2C is an emotive, and well-nuanced purchasing journey. Building a relationship might need three or four tries.

B2B influencer marketing differs from B2C influencer marketing in terms of time, money, and medium. B2B influencer marketing is a strategy in which businesses collaborate with influential individuals or entities who have a large online following and expertise in that niche industry.

B2B influencer marketing leans toward building trust for long-term investments, long-term positioning as thought leaders with authority, and demonstrating loyalty for brands that offer value to their followers. In comparison to B2C, this is a longer process, in terms of creating a trusted influencer.

B2B influencers are characterized by their roles in the industry rather than celebrity status, so don't think of it from the consumer standpoint. They are typically independent analysts, business consultants, content creators, public speakers, and authors, distinguishing them from the more celebrity-driven and social media-oriented B2C influencer landscape where influencers are considered by the size of their social media following and which social platforms they are on like Instagram, TikTok, etc. These professionals have niche expertise, authority, quality content (often long-form), and a connection with their audience, which makes them valuable for B2B marketing efforts.

B2B marketing targets businesses, focusing on product benefits, ROI, and long-term relationships. Influencer marketing targets individuals with a personal brand, leveraging their influence to promote products or services.

Also B2B typically involves a longer sales cycle with multiple touchpoints, while B2C Generally has a shorter sales cycle with fewer touchpoints.

The type of influencer you engage absolutely does effect the outcome of your campaign. B2B influencers are typically speakers, analysts, experts or key opinion leaders. B2B influencers are interested in growing their personal brand, leveraging strategic partnerships and will also be most likely to consider a paid opportunity. B2C influencers are more trend and customer focussed, meaning they are more centred around content creation and social media metrics, than business outcomes. While B2C influencers can have their own personal brands, they are more likely to consider mutually beneficial partnerships and not just paid opportunities.

For B2C brands, influencers can be celebrities, bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, social media stars, or micro-influencers who have a large or loyal following on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Snapchat.

The cliché difference between B2B & B2C marketing of rational vs emotional has been proven not to be the case. In fact, a study conducted by Google and the CEB Marketing Leadership Council found that “B2B customers are significantly more emotionally connected to their vendors and service providers than consumers.” With that in mind, using content formats that we know gain and hold attention - such as short-form video - across relevant platforms like LinkedIn make sense. The B2B influencer space is evolving at pace and there's also plenty of opportunities for brands to align themselves with these creators (at a fraction of the price of more established B2C players).

B2B really should utilize more video and short form content to reach new audiences since video is prioritized and reels/TikTok is all about the new viewers through discoverability.

The distinction in content formats between B2B and B2C influencer marketing is evident. B2C content thrives on diversity, creativity, and visuals to engage audiences, while B2B content leans towards formality, structure, and text to deliver insights and practical solutions.

In recent years, the average attention span of individuals has decreased from 12 seconds to just 8 seconds. In B2C influencer marketing, the focus is on crafting content that can captivate the audience within this brief 8-second window. On the other hand, B2B marketing is about providing decision-makers with high-quality and informative content tailored to their specific needs. B2B marketing aims to educate professionals about market dynamics and evolving trends they may not know. In contrast, B2C marketing concentrates on generating awareness and creating a spotlight to attract an existing and established consumer base.

B2B marketing targets businesses, focusing on product benefits, ROI, and long-term relationships. Influencer marketing targets individuals with a personal brand, leveraging their influence to promote products or services.

Think of it this way: B2C influencers try to get their audience to buy your product or service. B2B influencers are motivating your audience to have a conversation with you. Two very different goals.

B2B influencers focus on relationship building while also having the ability to showcase actual results of their product, etc. B2C influencers absolutely help with impressions and overall brand awareness, however more actions need to be in place during a B2C influencer campaign. Tracking parameters, retargeting, additional assets, possibly email drip campaigns, etc. That's not to say B2B shouldn't include those by any means. Those additional campaign strategies simply have to be in place to really be able to measure the effectiveness of a B2C influencer campaign.

When many brands launch an influencer marketing campaign, their primary objective is often to reach a larger audience and build brand awareness. They understand that working with the right influencer on the right type of campaign can enhance their visibility and create positive brand associations.

B2B Influencer marketing focuses on two main objectives: 1: Brand Awareness and building brand affinity (and ultimately demand generation). 2: Lead generation. Metrics used to measure the success of campaigns are not unlike B2C but also include the quality of the content. That's because high-quality long-form content like blogs, articles, podcasts, videos, and interviews "lives" for a long time online and is searchable for a long time.

One of the key benefits of B2B influencer marketing is that it can help businesses establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. By working with industry experts and thought leaders, businesses can gain credibility and build trust with their target audience. B2B influencer marketing can also help businesses generate leads and increase their sales. On the other hand, B2C influencer marketing can help businesses increase brand awareness and reach new audiences. By working with celebrities and social media influencers, businesses can tap into the influencer’s large following and reach a wider audience. B2C influencer marketing can also help businesses drive sales and increase their customer base.

B2B influencer relationships require more investment as they are longer-term and you often have a smaller pool of people showing up again and again to interact with a B2B influencer's thoughts. Unlike B2C, they can be seen as a repeated and trusted space for industry news, guidance and a key voice for solutions. A huge sense of responsibility. A fragile relationship to manage. However, also very rewarding in the long-term.

Because the goals for B2B and B2C influencers are likely different (B2B is mostly used for sales/building trust while B2C is usually used for brand awareness), the relationships need to be approached differently. However, both B2B and B2C influencers need to be valued—Give them the opportunity to be promoted through your company either via a webinar or on the website. Don't just ask, ask, and ask for them to promote you. It has to be a respectful two-way street. You don't want to sour a relationship simply because you're always asking them to do something for you.

I believe B2B and B2C influencer marketing differ significantly. B2C marketing is about creating a personal connection with consumers, appealing to their emotions and interests. Influencers are popular individuals who sway followers' purchasing decisions through personal stories or product recommendations. Conversely, B2B marketing is more professional, targeting businesses and focusing on corporate vision and long-term investment. Influencers are industry experts who influence decisions by providing expert insights or endorsing products that align with their expertise.

Influencer relationship management is anything that helps create positive relationships with social media creators that help drive sales on a product or service. This can include information about an influencer's personality trait, long-term business goals, how they prefer to communicate, and more.

B2B influencer marketing is strategic. Relationships are formed with influencers who speak to the brand's buying audience, and that takes time. This can seem daunting at first, but the good news is that you can work with small numbers of influencers to make an impact on your buyers. You can start with a few influencers so you can invest in them properly, including making time for them. Over time, you can add more to the mix.

B2B marketing targets businesses, focusing on product benefits, ROI, and long-term relationships. Influencer marketing targets individuals with a personal brand, leveraging their influence to promote products or services.

In either B2B or B2C, please research the UGC creator or influencer prior to hiring. Also make sure to do your research on compensation regarding influencers because not all influencers are created equal!