Podcast Summary: The Case for Influencer Marketing in B2B with Brianna Doe

Podcast: The Dave Gerhardt Show
Host: Dave Gerhardt
Guest: Brianna Doe, Founder at Verbatim
Recorded: November 20, 2025
Location: DRIVE 2025 at Exit Five, Burlington, Vermont

Overview

This episode dives into the evolving practice of influencer marketing in B2B, featuring expert insights from Brianna Doe, founder of the influencer marketing agency Verbatim. Recorded live at the DRIVE 2025 event, Brianna makes a comprehensive case for why influencer marketing isn't optional for B2B brands—and provides actionable frameworks, examples, and real talk on making it work. Host Dave Gerhardt guides the discussion, with deep dives into strategy, measurement, pitfalls, audience targeting, and more.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Influencer Marketing: Not Optional in B2B

• Brianna kicks off by challenging the audience: almost everyone has been influenced by an online recommendation, whether B2B or B2C.
• Key statistics:
  • "84% of B2B buyers rely on peer and industry leader recommendations. 75% of B2B leaders research products after engaging with thought leadership content. And 87% of B2B buyers give more credence to content featuring industry experts they trust." — Brianna Doe [05:26]
• Quote:
  • "B2B buying behavior is not linear at this point... they’re piecing together insights from LinkedIn, DMs, comments, industry leaders, Slack communities. If your strategy doesn't meet them where trust already lives, you might as well be invisible." — Brianna Doe [05:55]

2. Lessons from B2C Influencer Campaigns (Even for B2B)

• Brianna draws parallels and lessons:
  • Authenticity wins: B2C campaigns succeed when creators are authentic partners, not just paid shills.
  • Examples:
    • Emelia Demoldenberg for Bumble: "They didn't just hand her a script. They handed her a seat at the table." [06:25]
    • Love Island & Nyx partnership: "They saw the cultural moment and just rode the wave to a sellout." [07:24]
    • Gap's Cat’s Eye campaign: "Not just that the ad went viral. It became a trend that transcended culture." [08:07]

3. Building a B2B Influencer Program: The “Creator Engine” Framework

Step 1: Discover and Co-Create

• Don't build in a silo:
  • "Before you engage with a single influencer... understand what success actually looks like. Talk not just to leadership, but sales, product, CS." — Brianna Doe [09:46]
  • Align on KPIs and campaign parameters before outreach.
• Building relationships:
  • "You can just ask [influencers] about rates, content preferences... start gathering info and build your own spreadsheet." [11:46]

Step 2: Briefing Creators

• Strategic guardrails, not scripts:
  • "The goal with the campaign brief is not to lock them in... but to give them enough of a boundary so they can authentically integrate their voice." [12:29]

Step 3: Activate—Experiences, Not Just Posts

• Go beyond LinkedIn posts:
  • Use webinars, YouTube explainers, events, podcasts, and multi-channel plays.
  • "Our mantra is: experiences, not just posts." [13:09]
• Influencers are not your salespeople:
  • "Easy to say—‘do five posts at this rate’… but influencing is not the same as selling." [13:52]

Step 4: Iterate & Refine

• Optimization loop:
  • "If you have a three month contract with a creator and the first month is going horribly... look at what the data is telling you, then iterate." [15:02]

4. Selecting the Right Creators

• Not all creators have the same role: Brianna introduces four creator types:
  1. Practitioner Experts: High authority, niche reach.
  2. Cultural Amplifiers: Broader reach, high trust.
  3. Community Connectors: Moderate authority, strong niche.
  4. Attention Drivers: Top-of-funnel, wide but less targeted.
• Choose based on your campaign goals, not just follower count.

5. Defining Success and Measuring Impact

• Align with stakeholders early:
  • "If you are aligning with your team at the very beginning... you’re going to be in a much better position." [17:19]
• Four stakeholder buckets (Execs, Sales, Product, CS), each with unique priorities.
• Pilot approach (minimum 90 days):
  • "Absolute minimum is 90 days—set up, onboard, activate, refine, analyze, expand." [26:44]

6. Real-World B2B Influencer Marketing Case Studies

1. Semrush: Invite-only influencer program evolved into a successful in-person event (Spotlight 🔹 500+ organic posts, 3M impressions, 1,000 attendees). [23:27]
2. Sprout Social: Community-driven, co-hosted micro-events with top creators tied to major conferences. [24:15]
3. Novattic: Hybrid influencer/advisory program prioritizing subject-matter expertise over follower count. [25:07]

7. Diversity and Representation in Influencer Programs

• Memorable stat: "Companies that reflect the audiences they're targeting consistently outperform—representative campaigns see 16% higher sales." — Brianna Doe [19:46]
• Quote: "Buyers want to see themselves in your strategy, ads, and influencer content. When you don’t, you lose relevance." [19:39]

Notable Quotes & Moments

"D2C brands win because they don't just hand creators a script, they hand them a seat at the table."
— Brianna Doe [06:25]

"Influencers are not your salespeople... But what does matter is making sure that content leads into a curated journey."
— Brianna Doe [13:52]

"You don’t have to spend $500,000 to run a test. Pick three to five [creators], run a very intentional experiment and then design one or two focus plays."
— Brianna Doe [18:39]

"If your influencer program features the same five voices as everyone else—are you really building influence or just broadcasting to the same echo chamber?"
— Brianna Doe [23:09]

"If you only have 30 or 60 days, it’s just not long enough. The absolute minimum is 90 days."
— Brianna Doe [26:49]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:57] - Brianna Doe Introduction and Influencer Marketing Mindset
• [05:26] - Key B2B Influencer Marketing Statistics
• [06:25] - Lessons from B2C: Authenticity and Partnership
• [09:46] - Laying the Foundation: Alignment, Discovery, Co-Creation
• [13:09] - "Experiences, Not Just Posts" — Activation Mantra
• [15:02] - The Importance of Iteration in Campaigns
• [17:19] - How to Align Stakeholders and Define Success in B2B
• [19:39] - Representation, Diversity, and Business Results
• [23:27] - Case Studies: Semrush, Sprout Social, Novattic
• [26:44] - The 90-Day Pilot Framework Explained

Q&A: Common B2B Influencer Marketing Challenges

How to Educate Teams and Leadership on B2B Offers

• Dave Gerhardt: "Unlike consumer brands… the offer is not direct sales... any advice on how marketers can coach teams and leadership on the offer/result?"
• Brianna Doe: "It really needs to tie back to what your customer actually cares about... For longer sales cycles, ask what are the short-term wins we can account for? How can we incentivize ongoing engagement throughout the campaign?" [29:43]

How to Find and Vet B2B Creators

• Brianna: "Ask existing customers who they follow and trust. Google ‘top fintech influencers’ or similar to find curated lists. You’ll build your own flywheel of lookalike creators." [31:40]

Risks with Influencer Campaigns and Brand Protection

• Real risk: Flopped campaigns can breed brand mockery in private chats.
• Brianna: "If an influencer campaign flops, usually it's because it was built in a silo. Validate ideas across customer-facing teams and with creators before launch." [37:32]
• Research what resonates—don’t default to humor or stunts unless intimately aligned with your audience.

Ad Disclosure: Does "This is an ad" Kill Performance?

• Brianna: "FTC requires disclosure. But you can integrate the message, e.g., 'Really grateful to partner with XYZ.' Seamless integration and alignment matter more than whether it's labeled an ad." [41:22]

Summary: Key Takeaways

• Influencer marketing is now a necessity in B2B, but must be strategic and audience-focused.
• Authenticity, co-creation, and alignment—internally and with creators—are essential.
• Measurement isn’t just about impressions: tie campaigns to business priorities, and iterate.
• Diversity in creator selection is a business advantage, not just a DEI initiative.
• Pilot intentionally (at least 90 days), learn quickly, and build for repeatability.
• When campaigns flop, it's rarely the influencer alone—often it's rushed briefs, lack of alignment, or failure to pre-test with actual customers or team input.

For more insights or to connect with Brianna Doe, catch the Exit Five community or follow her on LinkedIn.