The numbers are difficult to ignore. According to our 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report, a remarkable 79% of marketers with mature influencer programs are seeing outstanding results. Despite statistics like this, many brand leaders still have one key question: Where does influencer marketing fit into my already robust marketing mix?
At TopRank Marketing, we’ve spent the last 15 years answering this question for midsized to enterprise brands across industries, from tech to healthcare, supply chain, SaaS, and everything in between. With so many options to choose from, including pilot programs, integrated influencer content campaigns and highly powerful always-on strategies, there’s a fit for every need.
Influencer marketing program types and goals
While the scope and scale of B2B influencer marketing programs may vary, they all offer similar benefits, just in different ways. Before we dive into the specifics, it’s important to note that the advantages companies see from influencer marketing are closely tied to the goals they set. While this may seem obvious, the way influencer marketing is leveraged can significantly influence outcomes. Let’s quickly take a look at our two types of recommended programs.
Integrated Influencer Content Marketing Campaign
Typically runs for several months and across multiple channels, producing valuable content and helping identify the most effective influencers.
Example: Smartsheet’s #FruitfulWork campaign featured five influencers and spanned several months, as the brand and influencers shared evergreen content ranging from articles to videos to social posts.
TopRank Marketing Case Study: How Smartsheet Built Awareness with B2B Influencer Marketing
Always-On Influencer Programs
Over time, this long-term influencer marketing strategy builds a rich content library and nurtures ongoing relationships with influencers who help accelerate both the quality and reach of the content, as well as foster organic advocacy.
Industry Example: T-Mobile Business’s always-on program includes both high-profile and niche influencers who consistently create new content throughout the year, becoming familiar faces associated with the brand and producing evergreen material that can be leveraged for years.
Now that you’re familiar with the different approaches, let’s explore five key outcomes B2B companies like yours can achieve by working with influencers.
1. Influencers add credibility and authenticity to brand content
“Collaborating with experts that are respected authorities on the topics of influence produces content, communications and often advocacy that is believable, is empathetic to the concerns and goals of real customers and is trusted by the audience the brand is trying to reach.” – Lee Odden, CEO, TopRank Marketing
What happens when a brand identifies the topics that truly matter to its customers? It can finally connect with people who already have influence on those topics. By teaming up with experts who are respected authorities in the subject matter area, brands can create content that truly resonates. This approach feels authentic, speaks to the real concerns and goals of customers, and earns the trust of the audience the brand wants to reach.
81% of marketers with mature programs use an always-on influencer strategy, which significantly boosts credibility and trust compared to one-off campaigns (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
Learn more: Always-On Influencer Marketing: What Is It and How Does It Work?
2. Influencers partnered with executives build brand thought leadership
Connecting external influencers with internal executives to collaborate on content, video conversations, virtual events and similar exchanges of ideas can validate key leadership messages. Connecting trusted industry voices with brand messaging can drive credibility, differentiation and leadership. Examples might include:
- Running a webinar discussing the findings of your most recent research
- Creating an in-depth whitepaper exploring a key topic
- Conducting a series of livestream videos or podcast interviews between key executives and external influencers
44% of marketers co-create content with both executives and influencers (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
3. Influencers enhance content integration and reach
“Influencer marketing as a discipline has been maturing over the past decade and is now an integral component of the marketing flywheel. The ability to reach new and varied audiences through partnerships with trusted creators and influencers is of keen interest to modern marketing leaders. “ – Angela Lipscomb, Influencer Relations Manager, SAS (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
Relationships with B2B influencers are formed online, but their reach extends far beyond social media platforms and, when executed properly, can support a broader marketing strategy.
Once created, influencer content shouldn’t just be published, engaged with once and then banished into the ether. Instead, their content can be utilized in ads, email campaigns, and web content in order to amplify the reach of your marketing campaign. This type of content integration allows brands to connect with their audience in multiple places, creating a cohesive far-reaching impact.
49% of marketers identified integrating influencer content across multiple tactics as the leading trend for 2025 (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
Continued Reading – Case Study: Sprinklr and TopRank Marketing Bring Product Marketing to Life with an Influencer-Driven Masterclass Event
4. Influencers accelerate content production, promotion and impact
When effectively designed and planned, an influencer engagement effort creates a community of influence that the brand can tap for a variety of content creation efforts. Imagine having a group of 10, 25 or in some cases more than 50 industry experts on tap to engage on content projects.
Developing a community of influencers means creating genuine relationships based on mutual benefit and shared values. Not only does an engaged base of influencers help create content, but they are invested in the success of content distribution and impact because it benefits their own interests and that of their audience.
The reputation influencers develop on the topics of influence generates trust when it matters most: making decisions about which B2B solutions to consider, evaluate and purchase.
53% of marketers co-create content with influencers to enhance brand engagement and reach (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
5. Influencer collaborations can help optimize brand content for search
“Influencer content boosts your brand’s visibility, prompting others to share your link within their own networks. This cascading effect amplifies audience engagement and brand awareness.” – Michael Kuzminov, CEO, HypeFactory (Forbes)
There’s a strong connection between the topics people search for when seeking solutions and the topics where industry experts hold influence. Optimizing content with relevant keywords is key to improving search visibility, but adding influencers to the mix boosts credibility and strengthens E-E-A-T alignment.
With the rise of Google’s AI Overviews and other AI search tools, which sometimes provide inaccurate results, it’s all the more important that content comes from authoritative sources. After all, what’s the point of being found if people don’t trust what they find?
Marketers should also consider whether their influencers are recognized experts or thought leaders in their field in Google search. When these influencers contribute to brand content, their presence enhances both credibility and relevance in search results. Additionally, the SEO value of where influencers publish matters, be it their blog, industry publications, or other platforms. Evaluating the domain and link value of these platforms can help assess their influence on search rankings.
The SEO value of influencer partnerships varies by topic, but with the right research, brands can find opportunities that boost both findability and credibility at the very moment customers search for information — on Google, AI platforms, or social media.
56% of marketers say that social media posts are the most effective influencer content type. (2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report)
Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of all the benefits B2B brands gain from working with influencers; there are many more. Creative differentiation, scalability for growing brands, and acceleration of the buyer journey are just a few.
While many B2B marketers may only skim the surface of what’s possible when working with influencers, those who dig deeper can uncover tremendous value. Beyond short-term campaign impact, influencer collaborations can enhance long-term brand perception and thought leadership within an industry.
At the end of the day, the quantitative and qualitative data paints a definitive picture of the benefits, B2B influencer marketing is no longer an experiment but a proven, scalable strategy for brands looking to get ahead.
Ready to Reap the Rewards of Influencer Marketing?
