LinkedIn Influencer Marketing: Why it Matters & How to Start

LinkedIn has been around for a long time now and has firmly established itself as a leader in the business social media landscape. Until recently, the main focus of the platform has been business networking. Job seekers use the site to find employment opportunities, and employers and recruitment agencies use it to find top talent. However, the platform is now using a new strategy to help businesses and brands grow – LinkedIn influencer marketing.

LinkedIn influencer marketing is especially beneficial for B2B brands. Let’s take a look at why this is and what you need to consider before launching a LinkedIn influencer marketing campaign.

LinkedIn is generating a lot of buzz in the influencer marketing world right now, especially in the B2B market. The social media platform for business professionals has branched out from its traditional recruitment-focused model and started offering features for B2B brands to promote themselves. In fact, according to statistics published by the professional networking site, 80% of B2B marketing leads from social media now come through LinkedIn.

So, which features does LinkedIn offer to enable such successful results?

Unlike other social media marketing platforms, such as TikTok influencer marketing which is more geared toward B2C connections, LinkedIn influencer marketing enables brands to establish partnerships with other businesses on the site. By establishing these connections, brands can help to promote each other, expand the reach of their brands, and build brand credibility. And this has attracted a new category of professional influencers who focus on promoting business brands. These LinkedIn influencer marketing specialists have developed large followings on the site that enable them to drive effective engagement and help B2B brands grow. 

Let’s take a look at how B2B brands are taking advantage of this.

How Are B2B Brands Using It?

LinkedIn influencer marketing works best with B2B brands, and that is why so many are already using the platform for this purpose. 

So how are B2B brands using it?

For one thing, LinkedIn has been specifically designed for the business world. This makes it far more effective for B2B marketing than any other social media site. And the site is now offering an increasing number of tools and features to B2B brands to help them launch their influencer marketing campaigns. 

LinkedIn is also home to a number of notable B2B industry leaders. And many of these experts are now using their reputation to sway businesses toward certain brands. This is often through product reviews, sponsored B2B content, or short-form video.  

Perhaps the biggest advantage for B2B brands right now is that LinkedIn influencer marketing is still a relatively untapped market. This makes it much easier for brands to stand out with their influencer campaigns.

Questions to Consider Before Launching a Campaign 

If you’re a B2B brand and you have decided to take the leap into the world of LinkedIn influencer marketing, then here are a few questions you need to consider before launching a campaign. These questions will help you determine if the platform will work well with the unique characteristics of your brand. 

• Who is your target audience? Do you understand their demographics and key interests? What are they looking for? Which B2B brands would you like to connect with? Understanding your target audience will help you create a more targeted LinkedIn influencer marketing campaign that engages companies .
• What are your campaign goals? Are you looking to generate more leads or build your brand reputation? Identifying your objectives will help you design the most effective type of campaign. For example, if you want to increase engagement then you should focus on creating a campaign designed around quality content that informs readers and provides them with added value.
• What are you looking to promote? Specific products or services or your B2B brand in general? This will also impact the focus of your campaign and the type of content that you should share. 
• Do you have a key message or specific call to action that you want to include in your LinkedIn influencer marketing campaign? If so, make sure the LinkedIn influencer you choose is aware of it. Also, make sure they are a good fit for your brand in terms of audience demographics and brand values. 

How can you track your campaign? As with any form of marketing, it’s important to track the performance of your LinkedIn influencer marketing campaign. Make sure you use the right software and tools to monitor all your campaign metrics.