Inside influencer marketing: the most powerful tool you're probably not using (yet) | Five trends driving success, based on B2B Marketing Awards case studies
Inside influencer marketing: the most powerful tool you're probably not using (yet) | Five trends driving success, based on B2B Marketing Awards case studies  
Podcast: Trust & Influence in B2B
Published On: Tue Mar 24 2026
Description: In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Kristen Esto, Founder of Customer Influence, a specialist influencer and creator marketing agency. They explore what the data actually tells us about how influencer marketing works in B2B—and what it reveals often runs completely counter to conventional wisdom. Could the most powerful tool in modern B2B marketing be the one you're not using yet?➡️ Drawing on an AI-assisted analysis of over a thousand award entries from the B2B Marketing Awards and Elevation Awards (2024–2025), Joel and Kristen walk through five key trends shaping B2B influencer marketing today. Kristen—who brings more than a decade of paid media and data experience to her three years as a creator marketing specialist—shares why niche trade influencers consistently beat high-reach celebrities, why loosening brand control actually drives better performance, and how leading brands are connecting influencer activity directly to ABM platforms and pipeline. They also tackle the case for long-term influencer partnerships and why experiences like factory visits or live events produce content that brief-based campaigns simply can't replicate. Balanced, practical, and refreshingly free of hype, this is essential listening for any B2B marketer wondering whether influencer marketing belongs in their toolkit.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to B2B Influencer Marketing02:14 - Kristen's Background in the Creator Economy04:00 - How the Analysis Was Conducted Using AI05:03 - Trend 1: The Credibility Discount – Why Niche Beats Celebrity09:03 - Finding the Right Influencers for B2B12:39 - Trend 2: The Control Paradox – Why Freedom Outperforms Scripts17:00 - Building Brand Alignment Without Brand Control20:33 - Trend 3: The Pipeline Connection – Linking Influencers to Revenue25:24 - Making Influencer Measurement Work for Your Team27:17 - Trend 4: The Relationship Compound – Long-Term vs. One-Off Partnerships31:24 - The Case for Long-Term Influencer Partnerships33:02 - Trend 5: The Experience Dividend – Real-World Content vs. Brief-Based Content38:42 - Summary and Key TakeawaysFollow Kristen Esto,https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-sesto/ https://customerinfluence.co.uk If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/ 💬What do you think comes first—finding the right influencer or building the right brief? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/ #JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #InfluencerMarketing, #B2BInfluencer, #CreatorEconomy, #AccountBasedMarketing, #NicheMarketing, #CreatorMarketing, #InfluencerStrategy, #B2BPipeline