So, you want to engage B2B influencers

Engaging with influencers is a common element of a healthy tech PR campaign. Before we get into the how, let’s start by looking at when to work with influencers to boost your brand and who you should work with. When your product has specialized features and your niche has a limited pool of media covering it, influencer engagement can be a good way to reach your audiences. 

Who are the best B2B influencers to target?

The influencers who can most impact a B2B tech brand are often plugged into key developments in your area. For example, in health tech, an influencer might be attuned to FDA updates, key buyer organizations, or other regulatory bodies such as the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Health is just one of many fields where the influencers you want to target are the people who have the market insights or the ability to sway key buyer organizations. Working with influencers is a powerful way to add differentiators to your brand and spark media-genic updates in between product development cycles. For most B2B brands, it’s important to note that influencers in your field may not operate the way consumer influencers do (i.e. accept monetary value or a fee for the engagement). Do your homework to understand what is appropriate for the group of influencers you’re working with.

How do you grab B2B influencers’ attention?

When you’re ready to incorporate influencer outreach into your campaign, start by identifying your offer. Consider what you are offering to the influencer (usually product access). Evaluate this offer by reviewing any specialized details about your product, its price point, and how competitive your product and pricing are compared to competitors’ offers. These details can help you gauge how receptive influencers will be to your outreach, and can help you choose the category of influencers to target.

Once you’ve determined your offer, research the influencers in your area of specialty. There are a few criteria to consider as you develop a list of target influencers: 

• The influencers’ relevant credentials and their professional affiliations
• Their following on social media and connections with audiences in your target buyer group or profession
• The experience this influencer has with products in your category or any existing vendor relationships that may be competitive. If you can find evidence this influencer is actively working with a competitor, they will be unlikely to respond positively to your pitch. But if they’re no longer engaged, that could be a good signal since they will be familiar with the space and perhaps have metrics about their prior engagement. 
• Finally, review any academic or media affiliations and their bearing on your ability to partner together. Some academic and media affiliations can be beneficial (e.g. a columnist with an influential publication, or organizing key events where your executives can speak). Others may have guidelines that preclude the influencer from engaging with vendor brands.

You’ve got the list — now what do you ask B2B influencers to do for you? 

Common requests for a B2B influencer include evaluating your product, invitations to speak about product development and customer needs to relevant industry groups, or introductions to key players in your industry. Often, the latter two options become available after an influencer has a positive impression of your product. 

Next, develop an influencer plan. Outline the ask — what your company expects the influencers to do once you’ve engaged them. As you are working through your plan, make sure the ask suits ethics guidelines for their profession or position. For example, in the health tech arena, a doctor or clinical researcher may be unlikely to recommend a vendor’s product over that made by competitors, especially if that researcher’s work has had any bearing on regulations. But it’s still worth having a relationship with that influencer so they can speak knowledgeably about what you’re doing and how patient needs play a role in your product development. 

Academic, regulatory, and influencers who oversee professional organizations will not work on the terms that consumer influencers do. Do not approach the influencer relationship as something contractual (i.e. offering money for consideration of your product). This will very likely offend the influencer, especially those who pride themselves on their adherence to ethical guidelines. Be pragmatic when analyzing your offer, and look at your product and/or offer in context with competitors’ who may already have approached them. It may make sense to aim slightly lower when you’re taking the challenger position in an established industry. Over time, you can grow your influencer program as you gain credibility and have feedback from influencers to share.

Are you thinking about adding influencer marketing to your tech PR campaign? Influencer marketing can support other PR disciplines such as media relations. Contact our team to learn how this can help crush your marketing and PR goals.