Influencer marketing: how to tackle it for B2C and B2B

8 September, 2025 - Author: Julia Stone

Not long ago, influencer marketing was dismissed as a fad. The stereotype was simple: Instagram personalities selling protein shakes or YouTubers unboxing gadgets. Fast forward to 2025, and influencer marketing has matured into a structured, data-driven industry worth over $20 billion annually. It is no longer confined to fashion, beauty, or lifestyle. Today, B2C and B2B companies alike use influencers to reach audiences, build trust, and move markets.

But there’s a catch. While influencer marketing is universal in principle — people trust people more than they trust ads — the tactics diverge depending on the context. A beauty brand launching a skincare line needs viral TikTok creators. A SaaS company selling to enterprise decision-makers needs respected analysts or LinkedIn voices. Both are “influencer marketing,” but the execution couldn’t look more different.

So how should businesses — consumer-facing and business-facing — tackle influencer marketing in 2025 and beyond? This guide unpacks the nuances, provides 12 best practices, and shares concrete examples of what works across both landscapes.

Why influencer marketing matters now

The erosion of traditional advertising has made influencer marketing a necessity. Banner ads are ignored, TV commercials are skipped, and even paid social feels like noise. Buyers want human, relatable voices they can trust.

Influencers step into that role because:

Trust has shifted. Audiences trust peers and creators more than faceless corporate logos. Surveys consistently show that 70–80% of buyers consider influencer recommendations more credible than ads.
Attention is fragmented. People spend time across dozens of platforms: TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Discord, podcasts. Influencers anchor those fragmented spaces.
Content wins algorithms. Platforms reward engaging content. Influencers, by definition, know how to create it.
ROI is measurable. Influencer campaigns, when tracked with codes and attribution, deliver clear outcomes — clicks, leads, sign-ups, or sales.

Both B2C and B2B brands can benefit. The difference lies in execution, goals, and relationship structure. For example, B2B marketplace developers often help companies design influencer strategies tailored to long sales cycles and expert-driven trust building.

B2C influencer marketing: building community and driving conversions

For B2C brands, influencer marketing is about scale. The goal is usually to spark awareness and drive purchases across large consumer groups.

What works in B2C:

Micro- and nano-influencers: Smaller creators (1k–50k followers) often deliver stronger ROI than celebrities. Their engagement rates are higher, and their audiences trust them.
Platform-first strategy: Each platform has its strength:
- TikTok for virality and discovery.
- Instagram for lifestyle storytelling.
- YouTube for long-form education and reviews.
- Twitch for real-time engagement in gaming and live commerce.
Authenticity over polish: Audiences prefer casual, natural content over glossy ad-style posts. A rough TikTok can outperform a studio-quality video if it feels real.
Creative variety: Campaigns mix reviews, tutorials, challenges, giveaways, and memes. Variety keeps content fresh and avoids fatigue.
Performance tracking: Discount codes, affiliate links, and branded hashtags tie activity to sales.

Example – B2C: A DTC food brand launches a new protein bar. Instead of paying a celebrity, they recruit 100 micro-influencers on TikTok to create “healthy snack swaps” videos. Each shares a code, creating thousands of sales and massive organic reach.

B2B influencer marketing: building authority and long-term trust

In B2B, the dynamics are different. Decision-makers don’t impulse-buy software or machinery. Sales cycles are long, involve multiple stakeholders, and require trust at every step. Influencers here are not entertainers but experts and practitioners whose credibility influences peers.

What works in B2B:

Expertise over reach: A LinkedIn voice with 20,000 engaged followers in supply chain management can be more valuable than a mainstream celebrity.
Right platforms:
- LinkedIn for authority and discussions.
- Podcasts for deep conversations.
- Webinars for interactive education.
- Industry Slack/Discord groups for peer recommendations.
Co-creation: Instead of “sponsored posts,” B2B influencer campaigns often involve co-authored reports, webinars, or panel discussions.
Long-term nurture: B2B cycles last months. Influencer campaigns must build awareness, then trust, then consideration.
Case-style endorsements: When an industry expert uses your product and shares results, it resonates far more than a company ad.

Example – B2B: A cybersecurity SaaS partners with a respected analyst who writes a LinkedIn newsletter. Together, they co-publish a guide on “The 2025 State of Data Breaches.” The influencer presents the report in a webinar, generating hundreds of qualified leads.

Comparing B2C vs B2B influencer marketing

Factor	B2C	B2B
Primary Goal	Awareness + conversions	Authority + trust
Influencers	Creators, lifestyle personalities	Analysts, consultants, practitioners
Platforms	TikTok, Instagram, YouTube	LinkedIn, podcasts, niche communities
Content style	Entertaining, viral, lifestyle-driven	Educational, long-form, research-based
Sales cycle	Impulse, days/weeks	Multi-stakeholder, months
Measurement	Conversions, affiliate sales, clicks	Leads generated, pipeline value, deal influence

12 practices for influencer marketing in B2C and B2B

To make influencer marketing effective in either space, you need structure. Here are 12 practices that apply universally, with nuances for each side.

1. Define clear objectives

Influencer marketing fails when the goal is fuzzy. “Do something on TikTok” is not a strategy. Decide: are you driving awareness, conversions, or credibility?

In B2C, objectives might be “sell 5,000 units in launch week” or “reach 1M impressions.”
In B2B, objectives could be “influence $1M in pipeline” or “secure 300 webinar sign-ups.”

Do: Tie influencer activity directly to measurable business KPIs.
Don’t: Judge success solely by vanity metrics like likes.

2. Pick the right tier of influencer

Size isn’t everything. Bigger isn’t always better.

B2C: Nano- and micro-influencers (1k–50k) often outperform macro-influencers. Their communities are loyal and engaged.
B2B: Influence is about credibility. A consultant trusted by 500 CTOs may drive more deals than someone with 500k followers but no industry depth.

Do: Balance reach with relevance.
Don’t: Get dazzled by follower counts alone.

3. Prioritize relevance over reach

Relevance means the influencer’s audience overlaps with your buyers. A gaming YouTuber isn’t right for a skincare campaign, and a celebrity CEO isn’t right for a supply-chain SaaS.

Example – B2C: A baby formula company partners with mom bloggers.
Example – B2B: A project management SaaS partners with productivity experts on LinkedIn.

4. Co-create, don’t just sponsor

Sponsored posts feel transactional. Co-created content feels authentic.

B2C: Give influencers creative freedom. Let them integrate your product into their normal routines. For example, a fitness creator might share how they use a small trampoline in their daily routine, making the content feel authentic.
B2B: Co-author reports, co-host webinars, or invite influencers to share case studies.

The best influencer work happens when the creator’s voice shines.

5. Build long-term partnerships

Audiences see through one-off ads. Long-term collaborations feel genuine.

B2C: Ongoing ambassadorships, seasonal campaigns, or recurring product features.
B2B: Quarterly research projects, long-term advisory roles, or continued podcast sponsorships.

Trust grows with consistency.

6. Blend organic and paid

Organic reach is powerful, but limited. Combine influencer posts with paid promotion.

B2C: Boost top-performing TikToks as Spark Ads.
B2B: Turn influencer LinkedIn posts into sponsored content targeting specific job titles.

Paid extends reach, but the influencer’s authenticity keeps it credible.

7. Respect influencer audiences

Creators guard their communities carefully. Pushing irrelevant messages damages credibility for everyone.

Do: Align with the influencer’s style and values.
Don’t: Force them into scripts that sound like ads.

Example:

A B2C gaming laptop brand engages a Twitch streamer to showcase the device during a regular stream.

A B2B SaaS lets analysts critique data trends, even if it’s nuanced.

8. Invest in storytelling

Features and specs don’t move people — stories do.

B2C: Stories about transformation (“I struggled with acne until I found X”).
B2B: Stories about impact (“This tool reduced our reporting time by 40%”).

Stories make abstract benefits tangible.

9. Track ROI properly

Measurement differs:

B2C: Use promo codes, affiliate links, UTM parameters.
B2B: Track leads, attribution in CRM, pipeline influenced.

Influencer marketing is measurable — but only if you set up the infrastructure.

ReferralCandy gives you a single, trackable hub to run referral, affiliate, and influencer campaigns—creator codes, links, and payouts included—so you can attribute sales across both B2C and B2B programs.

10. Focus on community, not just reach

Influencer marketing at its best doesn’t just reach people — it builds communities.

B2C: Fan groups, hashtag challenges, Discord servers.
B2B: Webinars, LinkedIn groups, Slack communities.

Whether online or through in-person interactive activities, when you build community, you get loyalty, not just awareness. A brand that organizes a live workout challenge with a kids trampoline can bring followers together in a fun, engaging way.

11. Combine influencer and employee advocacy

External influencers are powerful. But don’t ignore your own employees — especially in B2B. Executives, engineers, or consultants posting insights build credibility too. Combine them.

Example: A SaaS brand partners with a LinkedIn influencer while also encouraging employees to post behind-the-scenes stories. The mix builds external trust and internal authenticity.

12. Stay compliant and transparent

Disclosures aren’t optional. Both B2C and B2B must follow FTC guidelines. Influencers should clearly state when content is sponsored. Transparency protects both brand and influencer.

Case study contrast: B2C vs B2B campaigns

B2C example – fashion brand:
A fashion retailer launches a new streetwear line. They partner with 200 micro-influencers on TikTok who post “fit check” videos. The content feels organic, goes viral with a hashtag challenge, and drives 25,000 direct sales.

B2C example – gaming brand:

A Gaming brand reveals new title with no pre-marketing, flying in 100 gaming creators, then unveiling the game live and paying top Twitch streamers to showcase it day one. The influencer-first reveal sparked instant hype, hitting 25M players in a week and $92M in month-one revenue.

B2B example – SaaS company:
A cloud software vendor partners with three respected DevOps influencers on LinkedIn. They co-host a webinar series, co-author a whitepaper, and share results in newsletters. The campaign generates 1,500 qualified leads and influences $2M in pipeline.

Both are influencer marketing — but tailored to context.

The future of influencer marketing

The space will evolve dramatically over the next five years:

AI influencers: Virtual personalities are already attracting millions of followers. Expect brands — B2C and B2B — to experiment with AI-driven creators.
Data-driven matching: Platforms will use AI to match brands with influencers based on audience overlap and engagement, not just reach.
Closed communities: Expect a shift from broad social platforms to smaller, niche spaces (Slack groups, Discords, LinkedIn communities).
Performance-based deals: Flat fees will give way to partnerships tied to outcomes — leads, conversions, or sales.
Integration with commerce: Social commerce features will blend seamlessly with influencer content, especially in B2C.
Hybrid models: Influencers will act as consultants, not just promoters, especially in B2B.
Increased regulation: Transparency requirements will grow, particularly around AI influencers and data use.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing is no longer optional — it’s central to how audiences, both consumers and professionals, discover and trust brands. The difference lies in execution.

For B2C, success comes from scale, creativity, and authentic lifestyle integration.
For B2B, success comes from authority, co-creation, and long-term trust.

The 12 practices outlined — from clear objectives to ROI tracking — work in both arenas when applied with nuance. The lesson is simple: people trust people more than they trust ads. Influencer marketing is simply formalizing that truth in today’s digital landscape.

Whether you’re selling sneakers or SaaS, influencer marketing can help you connect with audiences more deeply, build communities, and drive measurable growth.

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