What first comes to mind when you think of ‘influencers’?

Maybe you think of one-time reality TV contestants who now spruik beauty products from their bathrooms.

Perhaps you think of A-list celebrities like Kylie Jenner who reportedly gets paid just shy of US$1 million for a single Instagram post.

Influencers are not exclusive to consumer marketing.

In business-to-business (B2B) marketing, a multitude of people can influence purchase decisions.

Buyers and influencers

When businesses and governments purchase products or services, many people are involved – especially if it’s a significant purchase. We refer to these people as buyers and influencers because they’re either making or influencing a purchase decision.

It’s reasonable to suggest that as the value or potential impact of a purchase increases, so will the number of influencers. It’s one of the ways buyers mitigate risk. A wrong decision could have serious financial and other consequences.

Meet the four types of B2B influencers

In every B2B category, buyers can be swayed by four types of influencers:

1. People they know.

2. People who are like them.

3. Those that are trying to sell to them.

4. Third parties that have the capacity to influence.

Let’s get to know each group of B2B influencers.

1.  People they know

Credibility:          Medium

Trustworthiness:  High

The first group contains people with whom the buyer has a personal relationship – people they know and trust. It’s essentially word-of-mouth.

People we know are one of the most trustworthy groups of influencers for two reasons:

Firstly, reliability. Most of us won’t recommend someone unless we genuinely rate them.

Secondly, candour. We’re likely to be more candid when sharing our opinion with someone we know.

In B2B settings, this group might include business associates, co-workers, former colleagues, mentors, and informed friends and family members.

2.  People who are like them

Credibility:         Medium-High

Trustworthiness: Medium

Though the buyer doesn’t know these people personally, they share an affinity (for example, they might work in a similar role) and will therefore respect their opinion. Social media has made it incredibly easy to reach this group of influencers – it’s how we most commonly use LinkedIn and Facebook groups.

In B2B settings, this group might include peers at other companies, and other professionals who have relevant experience.

3.  Those that are trying to sell something

Credibility:         Low-Medium

Trustworthiness:  Medium

This group includes anyone who is trying to sell something. As such, the influence is not necessarily independent and impartial. Make sure you consider what’s motivating any recommendation and be alert to possible bias.

For example, when Hubspot produces a blog post entitled The 14 Best Software Automation Tools Available To You, and ranks Hubspot’s own solution as number one, Hubspot is clearly more interested in influencing a sale than helping you to objectively compare your marketing technology options.

4. Third parties that have the capacity to influence

Credibility: High-Very High

Trustworthiness:  High-Very High

This group is arguably both the most authoritative and the most trustworthy. These influencers are impartial and independent. There’s no hidden agenda.

This group includes all others who have the capacity to influence – for example (not all) media, industry analysts, ratings agencies, research houses and some consultants.

For example, when Gartner publishes CRM Lead Management Software Reviews 2021, it is demonstrating its capacity to influence. This is because Gartner is not a technology vendor and it has a reputation for being unbiased, reliable, informed and platform agnostic.

Influence the influencers

Remember, your target audience includes both buyers and influencers. 

Identify who is influencing (or has the potential to influence) each of the key buyers of your products or services.

When you can, build relationships with them.

Communicate with them – influencers need to be kept informed. This includes participating in their research efforts so the information and data they have about your business is accurate.

And don’t forget, all influencers are not equal. Be alert to bias and any hidden agenda.

Credit to ‘Winfluence’ author and marketing thought leader, host Jason Falls whose consumer-focused post, “Get to know the three types of influencers” inspired this piece of content.