Engaging Influencers in the Tech Space

How I drove $2.62M in pipeline with 3 campaigns for $0 (B2B influencer marketing playbook): My agency needed leads. Referrals are unpredictable, inbound was inconsistent, and paid ads proved to be a great way to light money on fire. That’s when I had an idea: Offer big B2B influencers free website redesigns in exchange for a shoutout on social if they love the work. I had no clue if it would work, but I had to try. My first 2 prospects: 1. Adam Robinson (RB2B) 2. Dave Gerhardt (Exit Five) They thought the idea was cool, agreed, and we got to work. I’ll save the rebrands themselves for another post – the point is that they worked. I got the shoutouts. The results? **$2.62M** in pipeline and **$1M** in directly attributable revenue (so far). Here’s the playbook for B2B Marketers: 1. Identify 5-10 “influencers” in your space. Criteria: → Large following on YT/LI/X → Audience mainly made up of your ICP → Active on-platform (ideally posting daily-ish) Follower benchmarks for B2B creators: → 5,000 on YT → 30,000 on X → 30,000 on LI 2. Message + Engage Be honest. Message them saying something like: “Hey, I want to [deliver your service] 100% free. All I ask is that if you LOVE it, you mention us on [platform]. Interested?” Some will ignore. Some will deny. A couple will say yes. BONUS: Your chances will increase dramatically if you leave thoughtful comments on a few of their posts pre-message. 3. Do a fantastic job There’s no substitute for good work. Remember, you’re only getting the shoutout if you do the work and they LOVE it. Do it (website/brand redesigns, in our case) and revise until perfect. I’ve seen it first-hand—it really does lead to high-quality inbound. If you can invest the time, you can access an audience others pay $5,000-$10,000+ to reach. Hope that helps.

What I learned after running 250+ influencer marketing campaigns & spending 7 figures+ to scale online brands... At Crowdcreate, we’ve worked on hundreds of influencer campaigns across different industries since 2015. An influencer can be any influential thought leader or person this could be a B2B LinkedIn influencer, VC/PE/Angel investor, or Gen Z rising star. We've paid top dollar to work with celebrities and their expensive lawyers to draft elaborate scope of work contracts, but also worked with micro influencers for free, where all they wanted was free product, and a handshake agreement. Here are a few lessons learned: 1. Quality (Micro Influencers) > Quantity (Mega Influencers) We found that micro-influencers (5k–50k followers with a solid 2.5%+ engagement rate) drove better ROI than big-name creators. Relevance and trust matter more than reach. These creators often have tighter-knit communities and higher purchase intent from their audience. 2. Test Small, Then Scale, but remember It's a Numbers Game. Start by identifying 15–30 micro-influencers who align with your brand. Send them your product, or offer free services. Don’t overcomplicate it—build genuine relationships. The early feedback helps you refine messaging and creative direction. You must work with a large enough sample set of influencers to understand what works and can actually drive conversions. Track everything on a spreadsheet. 3. Look at Who Your Fans Follow If you already have a social media presence, check out who your most loyal fans are following. You’ll usually find niche influencers with highly aligned audiences—that’s where you'll start for outreach. Even better if you jump on video calls to ask them face-to-face. 4. The Ask: Clear & Simple Once your product is in their hands, here’s what we found works well in an outreach DM: 1 static feed post 2–5 Instagram Stories/TikTok Videos A website review (only if they genuinely liked the product) A custom discount code + affiliate link to track conversions 5. Re-engage Top Performers If an influencer drives solid conversions, do it again and again until you notice a drop-off. We typically offer affiliate bonuses. 6. Build a lifelong affiliate relationship Make it a win-win for both the creator, and you the brand. Send them your latest products/services on a quarterly or yearly basis, and give them a unique referral code so not only does their following save money, but they make money as well and can keep creating content. In summary, create an influencer marketing relationship that compounds over time. The best-performing creators are usually the ones that become your long-term brand advocates. #influencermarketing

Are you looking for a no-cost influencer campaign that drives brand awareness and influences pipeline? 'Top Lists' are a method that our team at Demandbase uses frequently. Here are the 8️⃣ steps: 🔍 1. Research & Nominations: Gather a list of potential influencers through community nominations, private groups, tools like Onalytica, or manual LinkedIn research focusing on specific titles and engagement levels. 📚 2. Apply the 5-Point Methodology: Ensure your selections meet the criteria of Reach, Contextual Updates, Engagement, Audience Resonance, and Diversity. 🎨 3. Craft Personalized Creatives: Develop individualized social cards for each influencer, highlighting their headshot, name, title, and company. ✉️ 4. One-to-One Outreach: Craft compelling emails to 🎉 celebrate 🎉 each featured influencer, making each feel valued and acknowledged. 👀 5. Monitor & Engage: Watch as influencers share their customized cards and engage actively, both from your personal and brand accounts, amplifying the reach and impact. 📢 6. Activate Your Team: Encourage employees to share and celebrate the list, ensuring it resonates within and beyond your organizational boundaries. Your sales team should also be provided with the list so that they can congratulate those folks and companies included on your list. 🚀 7. Launch a Holistic Social Campaign: Maximize exposure through varied social media tools including social posts, LinkedIn carousels, and Instagram Reels. When you share these updates, tag the individuals who you've featured to drive further reach. 🤝 8. Cultivate Long-term Relationships: Beyond the list, focus on nurturing lasting connections by connecting with individuals on LinkedIn, interacting with their content, seeking contributions for collaborative projects, and more. *Pro Tip*: Utilize these steps to then set the stage for other organic, hybrid, or paid campaigns. #b2binfluencermarketing #influencermarketing #b2bmarketing

Navigating a crowded influencer landscape can be daunting—even with big budgets, finding the right voices often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. In the cluttered world of AI tools, SaaS companies must earn genuine credibility to truly stand out. One core premise we need to embrace is: “Influencers don’t trust brands, they trust other influencers.” Influencers are a relatively new, budding yet tight-knit community, much like comedians, where they openly discuss deal structures, share negotiation tactics, and exchange insights on what content works best. This transparent dialogue creates a powerful ripple effect of validation—an approach that works exceptionally well for SaaS products. The first challenge is “identifying the right influencer” amidst an overwhelming number of options. It's crucial to apply basic vetting criteria, using the right tools to filter through the noise, focusing on those who can deliver quantifiable results. Discovery Platforms: * Heepsy: Find niche creators with a structured influencer database. * HypeAuditor: Use data-driven evaluations to verify genuine followings. * Social Blade: Track key performance metrics and growth trends. * Upfluence: Filter influencers by engagement and niche relevance. * Modash: Gain detailed insights into influencer performance and audience demographics. Search & Community: Leverage platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok Creator Marketplace, Twitter/X Lists, Reddit, and Facebook Groups. For example, when building a vertical photography SaaS, use keywords like "wedding photography," "portrait photography," "fashion events," or "lifestyle photography" to pinpoint the right voices. Competitor Mentions: Monitor influencers engaging with competitors to uncover quality leads. If an influencer has promoted a competitor before and isn’t tied down by exclusivity, they could be an ideal candidate for your campaign. Eager to hear your take, drop your tips, questions, or even your frustrations below 😋