Wondering how you can use B2B influencer marketing to drive global and international content marketing success? Get the full overview here!
With the mountain of competition in B2B, establishing trust with potential buyers is no easy feat.
Unlike in ecommerce, where transactions are typically swift, and purchases are at far lower prices, B2B sales cycles are lengthier and involve much higher stakes.
With endless opportunities to choose from, community has become more crucial than ever, as people search and check social media but ultimately rely on trusted peers for advice when making important business decisions.
So how can B2B businesses ensure their content stands out and gets noticed – and most importantly, trusted – by their target audience?
This is where influencers, or subject matter experts (SMEs) in the B2B realm, play a pivotal role – particularly in the context of expanding to international markets that speak multiple languages.
By harnessing the reach and reputation of well-known SMEs in the local markets, B2B companies can amplify their international content marketing efforts, ensuring that their message resonates with diverse international audiences.
Over time, SME collaborations enable B2B companies to cultivate a strong community around their brand, which then drives inbound leads and growth across international markets.
Why Involving Local Influencers & SMEs In International B2B Content Marketing Campaigns Is Crucial
Extensive research plays a hefty role in the B2B buying process, in that:
- B2B buyers complete up to 70% of their research prior to even contacting a sales team.
- 87% of B2B buyers say online content has a major or moderate impact on vendor selection.
- 78% of B2B referrals create viable customer leads for the business.
What do all three of those points have in common?
B2B buyers are looking for a trustworthy source to confirm information found during their research.
As such, partnering up with SME influencers is key to building up this crucial brand trustworthiness, especially if you’re a global brand expanding into diverse international markets worldwide.
In fact, up to 86% of B2B brands have reported some measure of success with highly targeted influencer marketing.
But selecting the relevant influencers for the right market is key for content to resonate with local target audiences.
For example, a highly knowledgeable SME from New York City is unlikely to have much sway or influence if you’re targeting customers in Tokyo, on the other side of the world.
