B2B marketers often resist the term 'influencer,' feeling it downplays the credibility of subject matter experts. This semantic hang-up creates an unnecessary barrier to adopting a powerful marketing channel, as they fail to recognize that any industry leader with an audience is, by definition, an influencer.
Instead of letting imposter syndrome paralyze you, treat it as a set of hypotheses to disprove. When thoughts of inadequacy arise ('I'm not good enough for this job'), frame your goal as gathering evidence to the contrary through your performance. This shifts the focus from fear to action.
Many professionals tie their identity to performance-based job titles, leading to burnout. A key to a fulfilling and sustainable career is to separate 'who you are' from 'what you do,' allowing you to define success on your own terms, not by what your role dictates.
The popular advice to 'bring your full self to work' is flawed and impractical. True authenticity isn't about sharing every detail of your life. Instead, it's about consistently acting in alignment with your established values. You can be authentic while still maintaining personal privacy.
Most marketers jump straight to finding influencers. The crucial first step is aligning on what success looks like with all stakeholders (marketing, sales, C-suite). Different departmental goals, like booked demos versus brand awareness, fundamentally change the campaign's strategy and creator selection.
Many B2B marketers dismiss influencer marketing after trying ineffective, one-off posts—a tactic long abandoned by successful B2C brands. They fail to commit to long-term partnerships and experimental approaches, leading to poor results and the false conclusion that the channel doesn't work for B2B.
It's easy to feel inadequate if you're not at a well-known company like Meta or Apple. To counter this, define what career success means for *you* (e.g., landing specific clients or speaking gigs). This creates an internal benchmark that makes external validation from a prestigious logo irrelevant.
Marketers wouldn't run a Facebook ad that shows to a user only once and expect results. Yet, they do this with influencers via one-off posts. Success requires repeat exposure to build trust and brand association, making long-term partnerships essential and one-off campaigns inherently flawed.