When marketers and influencers join forces, brands get the benefit of both professional marketing expertise and authentic audience engagement built on trust.

Influencer marketing isn’t just for B2C companies anymore. Platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok have helped B2B brands connect with audiences through trusted voices. While many B2B brands focus influencer efforts on brand awareness at the top of the funnel, true value comes from activating influencer partnerships across every stage — including consideration and purchase.

Nick Bennett, a noted B2B marketer and author, notes that most B2B brands today are stuck using influencer marketing only for awareness. In his book, B2B Influencer Marketing: Work with creators to generate authentic and effective marketing, he challenges brands to leverage influencers for full-funnel strategies that engage potential customers from first touch through to conversion.

According to Bennett’s playbook, here’s how B2B marketers can maximize influencer marketing impact:

• Step 1: Set clear goals. Decide if you want to boost website traffic, increase brand awareness, or drive consideration. Clear goals guide your influencer and content choices.
• Step 2: Define your audience. Build detailed buyer personas, including demographics, challenges, and online behavior.
• Step 3: Find the right influencers. Look for partners with authentic, active audiences who match your brand’s target market. Make your outreach personal, focusing on how you can help the influencer—not just your own objectives.
• Step 4: Choose tailored content types. Select formats based on funnel stage. For awareness (ToFu), go beyond standard sponsored posts. Instead, consider collaborations such as webinars, joint events, and interactive social media campaigns. For consideration phases, workshops and customer testimonials work well.

Bringing Content to Life at Every Stage

Bennett gives actionable examples:

• ToFu (Top of Funnel): Engage audiences with more than just sponsored posts. Try event series, co-branded assets, or story-driven campaigns. Forge longer-term relationships by aligning with influencers who share your brand’s values and genuinely care about your solutions.
• Social Media Takeovers: Instead of quick-hit posts, leverage takeovers to tell engaging, industry-relevant stories. Choose influencers carefully and encourage real-time audience engagement.
• Interactive Content: Move from ‘broadcast’ content to community-based campaigns. Collaborate with influencers for contests, polls, or challenges that invite participation and user-generated content.
• Webinars: Make webinars interactive and entertaining, not just educational. Lead with your strongest content, avoid the hard sell, and seed interaction throughout with live Q&A and polls to drive engagement.

Modern B2B influencer marketing is about building genuine partnerships, creating content audiences value, and nurturing prospects across their entire journey — not just at the top of the funnel. Long-term collaborations and authentic storytelling power stronger results throughout the sales cycle.