From AI Overviews on Google to many of the business applications we use every day, AI is changing how business information is discovered, consumed and acted on in ways that few could have imagined just a few years ago.
With the rise of AI tools and content, B2B marketers face an interesting paradox: trust is harder to earn, but more important than ever. Buyers are tuning out generic brand and AI-generated content and tuning in to the voices they trust, that speak their language, share their challenges, and tell stories they can relate to.
This is where influencer marketing is playing an increasingly important role for B2B companies to humanize the brand by working with influencers, to inspire creativity, and drive more meaningful vs. mechanical engagement. With engagement comes connection and the trust needed to take action.
So what does an action-inspiring B2B marketing influencer campaign look like? From Lenovo’s late-night tech talk show to Sprinklr’s “Socialverse” masterclass and LinkedIn’s #MyMarketingStory initiative, each of these programs leaned into storytelling vs. selling. These campaigns also share a simple truth: influence in B2B is about connection. It’s also about making complex ideas relatable and human. And when done right, influencer marketing for B2B can win the hearts and minds of your customers as well as drive business results.
Lenovo – Late Night I.T. – After-Hours Tech Talk Show
Approach: Lenovo created Late Night I.T., a first-of-its-kind, after-hours “tech talk show” web series hosted by futurist and comedian Baratunde Thurston. The show featured 8 episodes with tech industry leaders as guests that turned complex IT topics into entertaining, easily understood conversations. Lenovo promoted the series across paid, owned, and earned social channels to engage IT decision-makers in a fresh, humorous way.
Results: The campaign outperformed benchmarks significantly, generating 300 million impressions (70% above industry norm) and 72 million video views (11× the benchmark). It also lifted brand consideration by 7 points and attracted interest from “thousands of large enterprises.” The series became so popular that a major TV network picked it up for a summer broadcast.
Sprinklr – “Across the Socialverse” Influencer Masterclass
Approach: Customer experience platform Sprinklr teamed with TopRank Marketing to launch “Across the Socialverse,” a documentary-style masterclass event hosted by respected social media thought leaders. Influencers like Ann Handley, Jay Baer, Mari Smith and senior executives from Sprinklr were featured in live and video sessions demonstrating Sprinklr’s new AI-integrated Social Self-Serve product. The fully integrated campaign included a virtual event on Social Media Day, influencer-led video content, blogs, email, and extensive social amplification by the influencers, Sprinklr, and even partner organizations.
Results: The Socialverse campaign was a “resounding success” globally – it attracted over 5,000 registrations from B2B marketers across North America, EMEA, APAC and ME regions. Promotion by the influencers (organic and paid social posts) led to 23.4 million in reach and nearly 100,000 engagements, far exceeding benchmarks. The campaign also generated a strong pipeline of qualified leads (contributing to new revenue) and was internally hailed as Sprinklr’s “Campaign of the Year.”
LinkedIn – #MyMarketingStory Social Campaign
Approach: To humanize its brand and boost engagement, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions worked with TopRank Marketing on a social-first influencer campaign called “My Marketing Story” (and a parallel #MySalesStory). LinkedIn invited respected industry influencers to share personal career stories, struggles, and lessons directly on LinkedIn Showcase Pages, rather than in off-site content. This always-on program leveraged influencers’ authentic voices to reach marketers and sales execs in-channel, with LinkedIn encouraging dialogue through tags, hashtags, and interactive posts.
Results: The campaign exceeded all benchmarks for LinkedIn’s social content. Influencer posts saw +239% reactions and +348% comments above average, with shares up 150%. Every participating influencer actively promoted the content (100% activation rate), extending the campaign’s reach by an estimated 5.84 million beyond LinkedIn’s own audience. The program not only drove massive on-platform engagement but also strengthened long-term relationships with 75+ industry influencers for LinkedIn.
Dell – “Data Paradox” Research Report
Approach: Dell Technologies teamed with TopRank Marketing to amplify its Data Paradox research report in partnership with industry influencers. The campaign centered on an interactive eBook highlighting the study’s findings, with commentary from 8 tech industry influencers. To drive awareness and lead-gen among CIOs and IT leaders, Dell executed a multi-layer content strategy: broad-reaching thought leadership posts plus niche, funnel-deep assets. All promoted through 39 social posts on Dell channels and videos using the hashtag #DataParadox, with coordinated shares by the influencers.
Results: The influencer content achieved 2× higher engagement than previous campaigns, driving over 8,000 landing page views (≈ 276% of the prior benchmark). On social media channels, the campaign generated 1.7 million+ impressions through influencers’ shares. Dell’s own posts saw 1.1K clicks and 1.6K interactions, and the campaign significantly deepened influencer relationships for Dell’s brand.
Adobe – Analytics Champions Campaign
Approach: Adobe Marketing Cloud executed an EMEA-wide influencer content campaign to promote its analytics and customer experience solutions. TopRank Marketing helped Adobe enlist several prominent data and martech experts (e.g. Ronald van Loon, Bernard Marr, Neil Hughes, David Raab) to contribute insights for a flagship content piece (an in-depth guide/eBook). This “influencer hero asset” was then amplified through a mix of paid and organic tactics, including the influencers sharing it with their networks, targeted LinkedIn ads, and email aimed at 900+ target accounts in Europe.
Results: By tapping credible industry voices, the campaign boosted engagement for Adobe around its analytics and customer experience solutions. The influencer-driven content generated 2× the engagement of Adobe’s typical campaigns and 150% more LinkedIn form completions (lead captures) than previous efforts. Adobe’s marketing team lauded the program’s success, noting that the influencer collaboration effectively expanded reach and drove audience interest in Adobe’s analytics portfolio.
SAP – Tech Unknown B2B Podcast
Approach: SAP launched Tech Unknown, a branded B2B podcast, to engage multiple niche audiences on emerging technology topics. To add authority and broaden its reach, SAP worked with TopRank Marketing to organize and produce the podcast as well as integrate industry influencers and internal experts as guest voices throughout the podcast’s episodes. The content strategy positioned the podcast as an “influencer hub,” where an influencer host, Tamara McCleary, interviewed thought leaders and clients to discuss trends (AI, IoT, etc.), and SAP in turn leveraged the influencer host and guest followings via social shares and featured them in related blog content.
Results: The influencer-infused podcast paid off in both engagement and reach. Compared to its previous season, Tech Unknown saw a 66% increase in downloads and achieved 101% above the industry average download rate for enterprise podcasts. Thanks to extensive sharing by the featured experts, the podcast content amassed over 52 million impressions via social media. This not only drove brand awareness for SAP’s expertise but also helped position its executives. clients and influencer partners as go-to authorities in their fields.
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise – IT Vanguard Awards
Approach: Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise partnered with TopRank Marketing to launch the IT Vanguard Awards, an initiative aimed at recognizing outstanding leaders in IT networking and enterprise communications. The campaign unfolded in two phases:
- Nomination Phase: A call for nominations was issued to identify exemplary IT professionals. A panel comprising five judges including industry experts, influencers, and an ALE executive was assembled to evaluate the submissions. These judges actively promoted the nomination process through their networks, collectively reaching over 90,000 connections.
- Recognition Phase: Post-selection, the campaign spotlighted the achievements and insights of the 11 honorees. A dedicated, interactive microsite was developed to showcase the winners and included commentary from the judges, enhancing the program’s credibility and reach.
Results: The judges’ promotion led to 52 high-quality nominations. Subsequently, both judges and honorees shared the outcomes across their social platforms, resulting in thousands of views and significant third-party recognition. Notably, local governments, school boards, and companies acknowledged the honorees, further amplifying the campaign’s impact. The campaign not only elevated ALE’s brand visibility but also encouraged meaningful conversations with potential clients. Several honorees were prospective clients, and the initiative contributed to generating multiple six-figure deals, with ALE attributing approximately $3 million in pipeline revenue to the campaign.
Semrush – Influencer Weekend
Approach: SEO platform Semrush borrowed some B2C tactics to shake up their approach by hosting an “Influencer Weekend” retreat in London. They invited marketing influencers for an all-expenses-paid weekend of creative challenges, sightseeing, and collaboration. The event not only generated fun, shareable content, but also built relationships. Semrush then launched its first user conference, Spotlight 2024, featuring the influencers as keynote speakers and content partners, effectively turning them into brand ambassadors who would bring their own audiences to the event. The conference was designed with “social-first” experiences (visual venues, interactive activities) to encourage attendees and influencers to post across LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.
Results:
- 3.1 million organic impressions from a single influencer’s post, after teaming with a lifestyle creator to promote the event
- 1,000 attendees at the Spotlight 2024 conference (double the anticipated turnout), driven in part by influencers inviting their followers
- 500+ social posts generated by event attendees and speakers, substantially amplifying Semrush’s reach via LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
- Community buzz: The campaign “sparked organic social media buzz” and deepened relationships with industry creators, proving that B2B marketing can be creative, community-driven, and fun
Salesforce – “Dreamforce Goes Corporate”
Approach: CRM giant Salesforce in partnership with Collectively, partnered with comedic corporate influencers to amplify its Dreamforce conference. The campaign, led by satire personas @Corporate.Bro and @CorporateNatalie, integrated humor and education, blending on-site skits and informative posts about AI to demystify new tech and showcase the Salesforce “Salesblazer” community. Content rolled out on Instagram and LinkedIn, mixing lighthearted behind-the-scenes Reels with expert insights, successfully driving viewers to Salesforce’s event streaming platform (Salesforce+).
Results:
- 16.6M paid and organic impressions
- 22.63% organic view rate
- 1.3M paid and organic engagements
- 4.83% organic engagement rate
- High audience resonance: The humorous yet informative content “resonated strongly” with the target audience, boosting brand visibility and reinforcing Salesforce’s image as an innovator in AI
Ajinomoto – “Dinner with Goop” – MSG Reputation Campaign
Approach: Food-tech company Ajinomoto (makers of MSG) orchestrated a bold influencer/PR campaign to combat the “MSG is unhealthy” myth. They hosted an MSG-packed gourmet dinner and invited journalists and famed “clean eating” influencer Gwyneth Paltrow (founder of Goop) as a guest of honor. As anticipated, Paltrow did not show up – and Ajinomoto turned her absence into the story. The narrative of “Goop snubs MSG dinner” garnered massive media attention, allowing Ajinomoto and an ally (comedian Jenny Yang) to publicly call out Goop’s unscientific claims about MSG.
Results: The clever campaign earned widespread press coverage and sparked conversations across the food industry. Goop’s team even corrected or removed false anti-MSG statements from its website. Follow-up research revealed that the effort shifted consumer sentiment. An estimated 24.3 million more Americans now agree that MSG is “clean” and safe to eat after the campaign’s buzz.
If you’re a B2B brand and want to learn more about how to put influencer marketing to work for your business, check out our 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report, or learn more about how TopRank Marketing works with B2B brands to find, engage, activate and manage the most trusted voices in the industry to co-create authentic content experiences for your customers.
