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A Formula for Identifying B2B Tech Influencers, Part 2

November 13, 2019

In my last post I discussed the nuances of B2B versus B2C influencer marketing programs and how important it is to understand that often times the ROI from a B2B program takes much longer than the consumer product driven focus of a B2C program.

Another key learning for managing a program on the B2B side, especially if you’re working on behalf of a technology brand where industries are often highly targeted, is that traditional influencer discovery platforms don’t typically have the influencers you want to work with. It’s a manual process, one that takes a formula and perhaps more importantly, some patience!

The Three R’s

We need to look at the Three R’s when considering working with an influencer:

  • Reach: a measure of the influencer’s total audience.
  • Resonance: A measure of audience’s engagement with a specific influencer and their content.
  • Relevance: A measure of the relevance of the influencer’s content relative to a specific topic.

Perhaps the most important R is Relevance. No matter how many followers an influencer may have, if he/she is connected to the right people, they can help a brand influence the space. Think about it like how today’s PR professionals are quickly realizing that the number of visitors per month a media outlet receives is not a valuable number to prove impact of earned coverage. We constantly make the case to our clients that an outlet that may only reach 50,000 people per month is just as important as one that claims to reach 70 million. It’s about the audience. Same goes for influencers.

Tips for identifying

So, you’ve taken the Three R’s into consideration but where do you go next? As mentioned earlier, most in the traditional influencer realm turn to an influencer discovery platform. But, when working in an industry like that of B2B technology, we need a different approach. Here are some ways to go about it:

  • Look at who is speaking at events that are relevant to your client’s industry. If they’re speaking at an event, it means they have notoriety and influence.
  • Utilize social channels like LinkedIn and Twitter to see who frequently posts on topics in your client’s industry. Check out relevant hashtags to see a central repository of everyone.
  • Research freelancers writing for relevant outlets to your client’s industry. Keep in mind that some reporters want to stay completely neutral regardless of being on staff.
  • Consultants are key! Influencers that describe themselves as consultants, or even run their own consulting firm, are more likely open to being an influencer.

Did you think I was done?! Stay tuned for Part 3 of the B2B Influencer Marketing series where I’ll discuss the types of activations and deliverables that can be implemented for these programs as well as how to report on your results.