Clearly, at this point the majority of B2B marketers have thought about the untapped potential of B2B influencer marketing campaigns and possible ways to collaborate on the LinkedIn platform.

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Sometimes it’s easier said than done. At BrandRefer we have made it easier than ever before, as we have built one of the largest and fastest-growing B2B influencer networks. BrandRefer connects successful B2B influencers on LinkedIn with leading B2B brands to run marketing collaboration campaigns on LinkedIn. Marketers just say “Action”, and campaigns go live.

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Also interesting: 6 Reasons why to run a LinkedIn B2B influencer campaign

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However, for those who want to take matters into their own hands we summarised quick wins on how to find the right B2B influencers on LinkedIn:

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1. Before you even start, define your criteria

 

To start with, know what campaign you want to launch - is it lead generation, brand awareness, product showcase? Are you providing your content or you want someone to create it? Know who is your target audience, what are their roles, and where do they work. All this information plays a key role for you to understand what kind of influencer you are trying to find.

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2. Focus on location and occupation

 

Start with searching people in your target location, market and industry. Influencer’s occupation and industry often indicate the characteristics of their direct audience. For example, let’s imagine that the influencer is based in London for the last 4 years. He or she currently is managing business development for a fintech company. It is possible that most of the audience, especially their closest network, is also based in the UK. Based on their occupancy it is very likely a large part of their professional network are finance professionals, C-Level decision-makers in the finance sector as this would be a network where this person operates for many years.

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3. Look at network size and engagement

 

The second important element, of course, is the audience size, potential reach, and possible engagement. Have a look at an influencer's profile to see how many followers they have. Look closer at their recent activities. How often do they publish their own posts? Are they actively engaging with other people or company posts? What are the typical engagement rates for their post? For example, if the influencer has 2’000 followers and on average their posts generate 20-50 likes, some comments and perhaps even re-shares, we are looking at very good engagement indicators and active network signs.

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4. Browse their LinkedIn content

 

You can learn a lot from previous posts - what type of content, topics and companies they're interested in. Just looking at the previous posts can tell if this influencer would be interested in collaborating with your company. It could also show their knowledge, expertise and authority in certain industries or topic areas. You can tell quickly their style of storytelling as well as their ability to make your marketing content relevant to their audience.

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5. See if they've worked on sponsored campaigns before

 

You can also look for words - #sponsored, #ad, #partnership #collaboration - in their posts. It's a hint of the experience, mindset and interest. You can find quickly what brands and campaigns they have worked on before. However, this is only a fraction of signs to take into consideration. The best way to start a collaboration is by starting a conversation. Introduce yourself, your brand, and let the influencer tell you the rest. When time is not on your side, connect with the BrandRefer campaign team. Tell your campaign criteria, share your marketing campaign content and launch your first influencer marketing campaign on LinkedIn within days.

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Continue reading: Key questions to ask before investing in your first Influencer Marketing campaign

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This article was prepared by BrandRefer, your trusted full service influencer marketing agency for LinkedIn.