Observed Signal · Nov 3, 2026 · Trend Analysis · Source: https://martech.org/feed/ · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Why B2B Marketers Are Turning to Paid Influencers
B2B marketers are increasingly leveraging paid influencers to reach specialized audiences through trusted industry voices. Unlike traditional B2B influencing limited to analysts and executives, a growing number of companies partner with entertaining creators who demonstrate high engagement. Research by Ascend2 and Top Rank Marketing reveals that 83% of B2B marketers are actively running influencer programs, with creators most likely to receive performance-based compensation. These creators, often content creators with large professional audiences or customer advocates, are valued for trust, credibility, and domain authority. The article highlights the role of talent agencies like The Drive Agency in managing B2B influencers, and profiles the success of data scientist Megan Lieu, who diversified from LinkedIn to Instagram and YouTube, generating revenue through brand deals, a newsletter, and a creator cohort program. The trend signals a shift towards 'always-on' influencer collaborations, which are nearly twice as desirable as one-off campaigns.
The article provides insights into the growing adoption of influencer marketing in B2B, supported by research data, which is relevant for marketers and agencies in the AdTech/MarTech space.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 83% of B2B marketers are actively pursuing influencer marketing programs.
- 43% of effective B2B influencer programs partner with entertaining creators.
- 51% of creators receive performance-based compensation.
- Megan Lieu, a data scientist, built a B2B influencer business with brand deals, a newsletter, and a creator cohort program.
- The Drive Agency manages B2B influencers, with commissions ranging from 10% to 20%.
Connected Companies & Entities
“Megan Lieu recently did a campaign with the company behind her newsletter platform, Kit, filming a commercial in NYC to promote a new featur...”
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B2B Creators Earn Up to 40x Consumer Rates
Archive's Paul Benigeri reveals that B2B brands pay creators up to 40 times more than consumer brands for similar content, despite reaching fewer people. The premium reflects the value of trusted audiences within buying committees, especially in the AI sector, which pays top dollar for credible human voices amidst content saturation. Creators are repositioning themselves as AI experts to attract these higher-paying deals. The market's deep demand is prompting some creators to game the system by creating AI-focused content to be recategorized as AI creators. Benigeri advises that such high earnings require years of building niche credibility, which is not easily bought on ad platforms.
B2B brands boost creator video to counter AI slop and enhance AI search
B2B brands are increasingly using creator video to differentiate themselves from AI-generated marketing content and to build credibility with buyers who rely on AI recommendations. According to creator marketing platform Billo, B2B creator video usage surged 55% year-over-year and nearly quadrupled since 2023. IAB research indicates that credible creator reviews boost consumer confidence in AI recommendations for 65% of consumers. Expertise and track record matter more than audience size; consumers prioritize proven track records (46%), consistency (40%), and demonstrated expertise (36%) over follower count (21%). Creator content is most valuable during the research phase, helping buyers discover, compare, and evaluate products. B2B marketers are advised to focus on trials, signups, and pipeline rather than just views and clicks, as B2B buying cycles are longer and involve multiple stakeholders.
Acast and Kit Partner to Fuel Creator Expansion Across Podcasts and Newsletters
Acast announced a partnership with Kit to help creators expand across podcasts and newsletters. The announcement was listed in Acast's newsroom on August 25, 2026. Specific details of the partnership were not disclosed in the provided text.
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