The Full Framework for B2B Influencer Marketing
🤳 How Storylane’s Influencer Program Drives 700k+ Impressions/Month (And Actual Deals)
Six months ago, Storylane‘s Head of Marketing, Madhav Bhandari, had absolutely no clue how to make influencer marketing work, particularly in the realm of b2b influencer marketing.
Fast forward to today, their program generates 700k+ monthly impressions with CPMs between $7–20 (compared to LinkedIn‘s typical $60–65 CPM).
Here’s the exact playbook for B2B influencer marketing that’s been crushing it for Storylane:
1. Smaller creators consistently outperform bigger names
They’re more affordable, hustle harder, and deliver to hyper-focused audiences. Most bigger B2B influencers charge premium rates for average content.
2. Think “portfolio” not “campaign”
There are way more great creators than your budget can handle. Start small, test various creators, and gradually build a curated portfolio that matches your goals, budget, and audience. This takes time. Don’t rush it.
Your reliable “go-to” creators will emerge naturally.
3. The 3-month rule
This gives enough time to assess content quality, audience engagement, and actual business impact before deciding to continue partnerships.
4. Get everything in writing
Getting clarity now is going to save so many headaches down the line. Set expectations up front about:
- Who owns the content?
- Can you run ads with it?
- Will they engage with your company posts?
- Exactly how many deliverables?
5. Pricing is all over the map
Expect $500–$2,000 per post for creators under 100K followers. Bigger names might quote $5K+ (highest seen: $70K per post). Determine value based on audience quality, not just follower count.
6. Don’t skip creator onboarding
Share your knowledge, previous wins, and internal data. Learn about their creative process. Collaboration upfront = better partnerships.
7. This is a full-time job
Managing sourcing, contracts, payments, content review, and feedback compounds with each creator. Don’t try to do this on top of other responsibilities. Get outside help if possible.
8. Creative freedom = better content
Over-controlling kills the authenticity that made you want to work with them in the first place. Collaborate on the brief, but let their voice shine through. The results are dramatically better when they feel trusted.
9. Always disclose partnerships properly
Use LinkedIn’s brand partnership option. Transparency doesn’t hurt results. It builds trust with everyone.
The Bottom Line: Storylane’s success comes from treating influencer marketing as a dedicated channel with proper processes, not a side experiment. All creators use or test Storylane before creating content, ensuring authentic recommendations that drive real deals.
P.S. This is the type of content you get in the Exit Five community. Access to Madhav and hundreds of other B2B marketers sharing their secrets for success (and so much more).
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