B2B Influencer Marketing : What to consider for a more efficient strategy and measurement of ROI
Lapitan-Ashtiani, Jaleh (2020)
Lapitan-Ashtiani, Jaleh
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121829649
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020121829649
Tiivistelmä
Direct advertising is simultaneously becoming more expensive and losing its effectiveness. Influencer marketing has been a widely used approach in B2C to engage the target group, and with positive outcomes. In the B2B sector influencer marketing is a growing trend, however B2B professionals struggle with it overall. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical understanding for influencer marketing as a concept, and perspectives to consider when executing a B2B influencer marketing strategy and when measuring its ROI. The gathered data is based on secondary sources mainly from B2B professionals, as academic literature on B2B influencer marketing is scarce during the writing. Furthermore, even if influencer marketing’s idea is the same in B2B and B2C sectors, the approach should be different. Therefore, two cases that have used thought leadership, content marketing and employee advocacy are descriptively analyzed to provide practical examples of B2B influencer marketing. It is discovered that good B2B influencer marketing practices exist by companies that have been practicing it for a longer period or companies whose business model is integrated with it. It is strongly encouraged to both adopt these principles into one’s own practice and for one to even create new ones through trial and error. Succeeding in B2B influencer marketing requires a company environment that is customer and value-centric, empowers its employees, and have a solid foundation yet agile mindset.