The uncertainty of 2020 created an environment of rapid digital transformation for B2B brands that impacted every area of business including marketing. B2B brands pivoted pre-pandemic marketing strategies to new go to market models for a digital first customer that in many cases is less trusting of traditional sources of information and paying more attention to industry peers, experts and influencers.

So what do these changes mean for the rest of 2021 and into 2022? Will B2B marketers continue to rely on partnering with trusted voices in the industry to drive full funnel impact for their marketing? Answers to these questions and more are essential in order for B2B brands to continue in their efforts to innovate on marketing effectiveness, differentiate from the competition and accelerate the sales journey. B2B marketing has evolved over the past 18 months and will continue to evolve with your help.

The past year or more has taught B2B marketer many lessons, especially the importance of creating digital first experiences that are credible, authentic and relevant to specific buyers. As part of the digital transformation of marketing, many B2B companies have adjusted their go-to-market approach to satisfy the changing customer expectations that have evolved during the pandemic.

One of those adjustments in B2B marketing has been the increasing role of influence in delivering  credible, authentic and relevant digital experiences. Our initial B2B Influencer Marketing research from 2020 showed that going into the pandemic, confidence in working with B2B influencers was very high as were expectations of outcomes.

Despite the growing confidence in working with B2B influencers over the past year, today there are important questions to be answered as more B2B brands enter the realm of influence and grow more sophisticated with the practice.