The Marketing Millennials – Ep. 387

"The Truth Behind B2B Influencer Marketing with Brianna Doe, Founder + CEO of Verbatim"
Host: Daniel Murray
Guest: Brianna Doe
Release Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Daniel Murray and guest Brianna Doe (Founder + CEO of Verbatim) dive deep into the evolving landscape of B2B influencer marketing. They discuss why B2B brands often lag behind their B2C counterparts, how to overcome common misconceptions about influencers, practical strategies for launching successful campaigns, and what authenticity really means both for professionals and creators. They also touch on imposter syndrome, redefining professional success, and Brianna’s new book, “The Unapologetic Professional.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Current State of Influencer Marketing (01:11–07:41)

• B2B vs. B2C Trends:
  • B2C influencer marketing is booming, with platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram leading.
  • B2B marketing is “five years behind” B2C, often focused only on one-off LinkedIn posts rather than deeper partnerships.
  • Many B2B brands are experimenting but hesitate to invest or try new approaches.

Brianna (01:36):
“B2B is... an interesting space. A lot of folks are still trying to figure it out... They automatically think of LinkedIn first and they're not necessarily seeing a lot of success with it. So it's a year of experimentation.”

• Pain Points:
  • Many equate “influencers” with celebrities, missing the value of niche voices and subject-matter experts.
  • Marketers want “algorithmic control” like with ad platforms, but influencer work is nuanced and less predictable.

2. Advocating for B2B Influencer Marketing (03:44–07:41)

• Defining “Influencer”:

  • Overcoming stigma around the term: “If you’re partnering with a subject matter expert or an industry leader... they have influence. You can call them an influencer. It's okay.”

• The “Why” Behind Influencer Marketing:

  • Building trust and credibility is paramount in an oversaturated market.
  • Partnering with creators introduces brands to already established trust networks.

Brianna (05:07):
“It’s about building trust. It's about building credibility... Why not try and find creative, on-brand, relatively non-salesy ways to connect with them?”

3. Influencer Marketing Misconceptions & Strategy (07:41–08:27)

• Misconceptions:
  • Many leaders still equate influencers only with major celebrities.
  • You don’t need massive budgets for micro-influencers or niche voices.

Brianna (07:41):
“There are still so many... CEOs and CMOs, who, when they think of the word influencer, they think of like a Kim K... There's so many layers to what an influencer is.”

4. Redefining Professional Success & Self-Worth (08:28–16:06)

• About Brianna’s Book: “The Unapologetic Professional” (08:58):

  • Encourages readers to define their own success, independent of traditional metrics or titles.
  • Focus on building a meaningful, sustainable career instead of chasing external validation.

• Key Insights:

  • Many struggle to untangle their self-worth from job titles, especially in marketing’s performance-driven culture.
  • The concept of a “portfolio career” (multiple roles/projects/side hustles) resonates with professionals seeking fulfillment.

Brianna (11:31):
“Understanding like where that's coming from... you need to have those goals for yourself because otherwise you're just... gonna get whiplash like chasing after what other people define as success.”

• Job Title Illusions:
  • Titles aren’t standardized; the same work can have vastly different labels at different companies.
  • It's often necessary to “re-market” your role and accomplishments to suit your career goals.

5. Authenticity in Marketing & Content Creation (17:07–22:44)

• What Does Being Authentic Actually Mean?
  • Authenticity is acting in alignment with your core values—not sharing everything publicly.
  • True authenticity means not presenting a filtered version just to suit others’ expectations.

Daniel (19:15):
"You have the right to protect what part of you want to be private and not... I think that's authentic to share parts of it and hide parts of it because you don't have to."

• On Brand Authenticity:

  • A brand is inauthentic when it strays from the values it has publicly claimed.
  • Consumers can easily detect inconsistencies in a brand’s messaging.

• Creators & Authenticity:

  • The best brand integrations let creators maintain their organic voice and style—even in paid content.
  • Authenticity ≠ universal likability; some audiences won’t vibe with you, and that’s OK.

Brianna (21:23):
“You can be authentic and people can still not like you... But it's... about your value system and making sure that you're sticking to that.”

6. Reframing Imposter Syndrome (24:02–30:07)

• Acceptance:

  • Imposter syndrome is normal—especially when doing new or bigger things.
  • “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable” is key for growth.

• Practical Reframe:

  • Identify the worst-case scenario, plan to mitigate it, and collect “evidence” of your proven capabilities (“brag book”).
  • Focus less on eradicating doubt, more on proving self-limiting beliefs wrong via action.

Brianna (25:46):
“I got an opportunity... to interview the guy who was doing the closing keynote... I had all these thoughts running through my head. Obviously, I immediately said yes... What I worked through is the reframe was, okay, I feel all these things... What's the worst case scenario?... What can I do to mitigate the risk of that happening?”

• Building Your Brag Book:
  • Capture wins, positive feedback, and evidence of impact to counteract self-doubt and support advancement.

Daniel (28:58):
“Nobody else is going to hype you up in your career as much as you need to hype yourself up.”

7. Running a Successful Influencer Campaign (30:50–39:11)

Step-by-Step Breakdown (31:21):

1. Alignment on Goals:
   • Get all stakeholders (marketing, sales, execs) to define what success looks like.
2. Understanding Channel and Audience:
   • Where does your audience spend time (YouTube, podcasts, LinkedIn, etc.)?
3. Creator Selection:
   • Build a diverse initial list (don’t let budget hold you back from exploring).
4. Contracting & Briefing:
   • Lock in creators, develop a campaign brief with clear goals, messaging, legal guardrails, and assets.
5. Execution:
   • Review content, set posting dates, gather analytics at 7 and 30 days.
6. Reporting & Optimization:
   • Analyze performance for learnings, apply findings to next campaign.

• Common Mistakes:
  • Not setting up proper tracking and attribution before launch.
  • Relying on one-off posts instead of building ongoing partnerships.
  • Expecting immediate, direct sales results without accounting for buying cycles.

Daniel (35:45):
“Set up the tracking beforehand... and you have to hit an audience multiple times for them to remember you... you have to show up multiple times for people to realize.”

• Algorithm Realities:
  • Marketers must accept that creators can’t control how algorithms surface posts—repeat exposure is crucial.

8. The Marketing Hill Brianna Would Die On (40:03–41:42)

• B2B Influencer Marketing Works—If You Commit
  • Most B2B brands fail because they don’t test, iterate, or invest enough.
  • The fear over the term “influencer” and need to differentiate from B2C holds them back.

Brianna (40:03):
“I will die on the hill that B2B influencer marketing can work, but most B2B marketers are too focused on just differentiating themselves from DTC to actually test the space.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brianna (05:07):
  “Why not look for those ways to connect more human to human? Your audience is probably looking for that.”

• Daniel (19:15):
  “You have the right to protect what part of you want to be private and not.”

• Brianna (21:23):
  “You can be authentic and people can still not like you... It's about your value system.”

• Brianna (25:46):
  “Obviously, I immediately said yes... The reframe was okay, I feel all these things... What's the worst case scenario?”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] B2B vs. B2C influencer marketing state of play
• [03:44] Overcoming “influencer” stigma and aligning on “why”
• [08:58] Introducing Brianna's book and redefining success
• [11:31] How to detach self-worth from job titles
• [17:41] Authenticity as a creator and professional
• [24:02] Overcoming imposter syndrome: reframing and action
• [30:50] Step-by-step: Building an influencer campaign
• [35:45] Common internal tracking and measurement mistakes
• [39:11] The importance of repeat exposure; creator value beyond the algorithm
• [40:03] The hill: B2B influencer marketing works if you commit

Where to Find Brianna & More Resources

• LinkedIn: Brianna Doe
• Book: The Unapologetic Professional

Tone & Language:
Candid, straightforward, insightful, and infused with humor and real-world marketer stories—exactly the “no BS” vibe The Marketing Millennials is loved for.

This summary delivers the heart of the conversation, key insights, and tactical advice from the episode—perfect for listeners who want the actionable highlights without missing the show’s fresh, relatable tone.