B2B marketing is mostly about logic and scoring leads rather than being trendy! However, this does not mean that you cannot gain traction via the prevalent marketing tactics that are widely employed in today’s times.
If you have been paying attention to the creator economy, you may have noticed something interesting- they are fast, loud, exclusive, and widely successful- even with their product lines.
You may be wondering what a limited-edition hoodie from you, a famous YouTube personality, has to do with your quarterly B2B pipeline goals. Actually- a lot!
Influencer merch drops are a great example in terms of hype, urgency, authenticity, and community. If you are willing to see beyond the surface, there are quite a few strategic tactics you can learn from these flashy product launches as a B2B brand. Let’s have a look!
Scarcity Sells
Influencer drops are not merely about selling things. They leverage their online traction and sell moments. A merch drop is a message that you have one shot to get your hands on an exclusive product. The window is small, and the audience knows it. This is why they line up digitally to buy fast.
Now, let’s apply this to B2B!
Instead of offering the run-of-the-mill webinars, you can host a one-time-only virtual event with a high-profile guest in your industry. Similarly, instead of ongoing demos, consider offering a limited number of strategy sessions per quarter with your product team.
Just like merch drops, the value is not just in the offering; it is in that fleeting chance to access it. To put it simply, FOMO works well in both cases.
Loud Launches Work
Influencers do not tease merch for months. They build up to a moment, and the drop is usually sudden, intense, and everywhere all at once- Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. This works as a wildfire instead of a slow burn.
Meanwhile, many B2B campaigns work like slow-release vitamins. Instead, as a B2B marketer, you can adopt the influencer-style campaign drop for major announcements. Rally your employees, partners, and industry advocates to all go live on the same day, where they make posts, share, and send out emails to make the impact stronger.
In this regard, you can also engage growth services to gain stronger online traction on social media, for instance, get more YouTube views or likes and generate more hype to garner more attention. Creators usually turn to these to stimulate the initial surge of interest and build perceived momentum. People want to be where there is buzz, and this can go in your favor.
Embrace and Promote the Face
You may have noticed that the top-performing merch designs are not merely cool- they are personal, too. Fans are not buying clothes or other forms of merch- they are buying a piece of that influencer- their energy and identity that they have grown familiar with over time.
In most cases, B2B hides behind logos and brand voice guidelines. You do not see who is behind it all. But if there is one thing that influencer marketing has taught us, it is that people trust people.
Start showing your team! Have your CEO or head of product lead the next webinar to represent your brand personality. Let your engineers and customer success leads share their stories on social media. This not only humanizes your brand but gives it a relatable personality as well.
Let your people be people- authenticity is highly appreciated in the digital world. Some of the most engaging influencer content is usually casual and real.
Leverage Community
Influencer merch drops do well because they are not just selling to an audience- they are selling to a community. Their fans feel seen, heard, and part of something that is bigger than the actual product.
You may not think of your buyers as a fan base as a B2B marketer, but they want connection, too. B2B buyers also want to feel like they are part of a bigger movement and not just someone in the pipeline.
Treat your customers like collaborators instead of leads. Build VIP slack groups, host invite-only gatherings, and celebrate user success stories. Also, invite early feedback on product features and do not just wait for the actual release.
Also, ask users to share how they are using your product or tool in creative ways. This helps you build social proof and also a sense of shared ownership.
Final Thoughts
The objective here is not to mimic influencer merch drop practices- it is to understand what makes them effective and consider how you can employ those practices in your business.
The B2B landscape is highly competitive and full of noise, and the brands that succeed are the ones that know how to make themselves exclusive and stand out.
So, the next time you plan a product release or webinar or are considering rebranding, think about what an influencer would do.
sources
https://powerdigitalmarketing.com/blog/influencer-campaign-drops-why-theyre-so-effective
