B2B influencer marketing means that a company selling to other businesses works with trusted voices – industry experts, entrepreneurs, executives, creators and well-known personalities – to build awareness, credibility and demand among decision-makers. It works because business buyers are people too: they trust peers and recognised experts more than brand claims, and long buying cycles reward brands that stay top of mind. Heading into 2027, the B2B brands that succeed will run always-on programmes rather than one-off posts, pick voices with real credibility in their niche, use video and LinkedIn alongside other channels, and plan for clearer rules on advertising and AI.

The approach is no longer an experiment. In TopRank Marketing’s B2B Influencer Marketing Report, 85 percent of B2B marketers said they incorporate influencers into their strategy, up from 34 percent in 2020. Here is how B2B influencer marketing works, who the right voices are and what changes as we move toward 2027.

What is B2B influencer marketing?

In consumer marketing, an influencer often helps sell a product directly to their followers. In B2B, the goal is usually different: to make a company known, trusted and shortlisted by the people who make or influence a purchase decision. That can be a software vendor partnering with a respected industry analyst, a bank working with an entrepreneur who talks about running a business, or a supplier inviting a well-known profile to host a customer event.

The voices also look different. B2B influencers include employees and executives who share expertise, independent consultants and practitioners with a following on LinkedIn, podcast hosts in a specific industry, and creators who explain complex topics in simple ways. Well-known personalities can also play a role – especially entrepreneurs who have built their own brands and can speak credibly to other business owners.

Why does influencer marketing work for B2B brands?

Who really makes B2B buying decisions?

Rarely one person. B2B purchases are usually made by a buying group, and many of those who shape the decision never talk to a salesperson. The Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report calls them “hidden buyers” and finds that more than 40 percent of B2B deals stall because of internal misalignment in the buying group. Seven in ten hidden buyers have little or no interaction with sales teams, which means a brand must reach them through content and voices they choose to follow.

Credible content opens doors. In the same report, 95 percent of hidden buyers say strong thought leadership makes them more receptive to outreach. A trusted external voice who explains a problem well can reach people your sales team never meets.

Why should B2B brands care about buyers who are not in the market?

Because most of them are not ready to buy right now. Research by Professor John Dawes at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for the LinkedIn B2B Institute suggests that around 95 percent of business buyers are not in the market for a given service at any one time, since companies switch providers only every few years. The brand that is remembered when the need arises has the advantage. Influencer collaborations are an effective way to build that memory over time, because people pay attention to voices they already follow.

Which types of B2B influencers should you work with?

The right mix depends on your goal, but most strong B2B programmes combine several of these:

• Industry experts and analysts who lend credibility to a new category or a complex product.

• Practitioners and niche creators on LinkedIn, YouTube or podcasts who speak the language of a specific role, such as CFOs, HR managers or developers.

• Entrepreneurs and business personalities who can reach business owners and small companies with a relatable story. Laila Bagge, an entrepreneur with her own brands, is an example of a profile who can speak to the realities of building a business.

• Your own employees and executives, whose expertise becomes more visible when they collaborate with external voices.

• Well-known personalities who create attention for a launch, a trade fair or a customer event – where a recognisable face can draw people in.

Which channels work best for B2B influencer marketing?

LinkedIn is the obvious starting point, and the platform is investing heavily in video and creators. When Microsoft presented its quarterly results in January, it said paid video ads on LinkedIn grew 30 percent year over year, as the platform pushes into short-form video. In Sweden, 29 percent of the population has used LinkedIn in the past twelve months, rising to 43 percent among employed people and 47 percent among those working in the private sector, according to Internetstiftelsen’s Svenskarna och internet 2025.

But B2B decision-makers do not live only on LinkedIn. They listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, read newsletters and scroll Instagram in the evening. Many small business owners are reached most effectively in the same channels as consumers. A good B2B plan therefore picks channels based on where the buying group actually spends time – not on where B2B marketing traditionally happens.

How do you plan a B2B influencer campaign?

What should the goal be?

Start with the business problem. Is the aim to build awareness in a new market, to change how people think about a category, to fill a webinar or event, or to support sales in specific accounts? The goal decides which voices you need and how you measure results.

Why is always-on better than one-off?

B2B buying cycles are long, so a single post rarely moves the needle. TopRank Marketing found that marketers who do not use an always-on approach are 17 times more likely to report that their influencer programme is somewhat or very ineffective. Plan recurring collaborations over months, with a mix of content: interviews, short videos, LinkedIn posts, podcast episodes and live events.

How much creative freedom should the influencer get?

More than most B2B brands are used to. The value of an expert or creator lies in their own perspective and tone of voice. Give them a clear brief on the message, the facts and what must not be said – then let them explain it their way. Content that sounds like a product sheet loses the credibility you paid for.

How do you measure B2B influencer marketing?

Use metrics that reflect the long buying cycle. Early on, track reach and engagement among the right roles, follower growth on company pages and branded search. In the middle of the funnel, look at content downloads, event and webinar sign-ups and website visits from target accounts. Over time, compare pipeline and win rates in accounts that have been exposed to the programme with those that have not. Be patient: the effect often shows up months later, when a hidden buyer remembers who explained the problem best.

What changes in B2B influencer marketing toward 2027?

Four shifts are worth building into next year’s plans already now:

• Video becomes standard in B2B. LinkedIn’s growth in paid video shows where attention is moving. Experts and creators who can explain something clearly on camera will become more valuable than those who only write.

• Programmes replace campaigns. As TopRank Marketing’s data shows, always-on work performs better. Expect more framework agreements and longer collaborations with a small group of trusted voices.

• AI content must be transparent. In the EU, the AI Act’s transparency rules have applied since 2 August this year, with obligations for watermark-detection interoperability following on 2 February 2027. If a campaign uses AI to create or change a person’s image or voice, plan for clear disclosure.

• Influencer rules get stricter in the EU. The European Commission has signalled that it intends to address misleading influencer marketing in a forthcoming Digital Fairness Act. B2B content is covered by the same disclosure rules as consumer content.

Does B2B influencer content need to be labelled as advertising?

Yes, when the collaboration is commercial. Swedish rules on advertising identification apply regardless of whether the audience is consumers or professionals. Konsumentverket stresses that it must be clear at first glance that a post is advertising, and the company behind the marketing carries the main responsibility. Write labelling into every brief and agreement, and check posts before they go live.

Key takeaways

• 85 percent of B2B marketers now include influencers in their strategy, according to TopRank Marketing.

• Many B2B decision-makers never speak to sales – trusted voices and thought leadership reach them instead.

• Around 95 percent of business buyers are not in the market at any given time, so building memory over time matters.

• Choose voices with real credibility in your niche – experts, practitioners, entrepreneurs and, for attention, well-known personalities.

• Work always-on, give creative freedom and measure over the full buying cycle.

• Prepare for 2027: more video, longer programmes, AI transparency and stricter EU influencer rules.

Frequently asked questions

Does influencer marketing work for B2B?

Yes. TopRank Marketing reports that 85 percent of B2B marketers incorporate influencers, and the Edelman-LinkedIn research shows that credible thought leadership makes hidden buyers more receptive to outreach. The key is choosing voices that the buying group already trusts.

Is LinkedIn the only channel for B2B influencer marketing?

No. LinkedIn is central, but decision-makers also listen to podcasts, watch YouTube and use Instagram. Small business owners in particular are often reached best in the same channels as consumers.

Can celebrities work in B2B marketing?

Yes, in the right role. A well-known personality can create attention for a launch, a trade fair or a customer event, and entrepreneurs with their own businesses can speak credibly to other business owners. For deep expertise, combine them with industry experts.

How long should a B2B influencer programme run?

Plan for months rather than weeks. B2B buying cycles are long, and always-on programmes perform significantly better than one-off posts in TopRank Marketing’s research.

Want to build a B2B influencer programme with credible voices, strong content and a plan that fits your buying cycle? Contact Collabri at info@collabri.se. You can also browse our talents and client projects.

Read also

• Social Media Marketing for Brands in 2027: A Practical Guide

• Podcast Advertising in 2027: How Brands Use Host-Read Ads and Podcast Partnerships

• Influencer Marketing Trends 2027: What Brands Need to Know

• What Is Influencer Marketing? A Complete Guide for 2027

Sources

• TopRank Marketing – The 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report: Key Takeaways (2024): https://www.toprankmarketing.com/blog/b2b-influencer-marketing-report-2025/

• Edelman – 2025 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report (2025): https://www.edelman.com/expertise/Business-Marketing/2025-b2b-thought-leadership-report

• ContentGrip – The strategic role of thought leadership in B2B decisions (2025): https://www.contentgrip.com/edelman-linkedin-thought-leadership-report/

• Ehrenberg-Bass Institute – Ehrenberg-Bass: 95% of B2B buyers are not in the market for your products: https://marketingscience.info/news-and-insights/ehrenberg-bass-95-of-b2b-buyers-are-not-in-the-market-for-your-products

• MediaPost – Microsoft’s LinkedIn Makes Surprise Gains (2026): https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/412393/microsofts-linkedin-makes-surprise-gains.html

• Internetstiftelsen – Svenskarna och internet 2025: Sociala medier (2025): https://svenskarnaochinternet.se/rapporter/svenskarna-och-internet-2025/sociala-medier/

• Paul, Weiss – EU Finalises Transparency Rules for AI-Generated Content (2026): https://www.paulweiss.com/insights/client-memos/eu-finalises-transparency-rules-for-ai-generated-content

• European Parliamentary Research Service – Regulating influencer marketing in the European Union (2025): https://epthinktank.eu/2025/12/22/regulating-influencer-marketing-in-the-european-union/

• Konsumentverket – Influencers reklaminlägg – regler för företag: https://www.konsumentverket.se/marknadsratt-foretag/influencers-reklaminlagg-regler-for-foretag/

This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by Collabri.