Why B2B buyers have no friends…

This blog post is adapted from Wildfire’s latest guide, The Science of B2B Influence.

For years, traditional marketing campaigns have painted a misleading picture of the B2B buyer. According to the stereotype, B2B decision-makers are robotic, logic-driven professionals who spend their lives scrolling LinkedIn, attending webinars, downloading reports, and consuming trade media — making every choice based purely on data.

The truth? That’s nonsense.

B2B Buyers Are Human Too

In 2025, B2B buyers are just as complex, emotional, and influenced as any consumer. Their decisions aren’t linear. They’re shaped by trusted voices, peer recommendations, and the same cultural currents that affect everyone else.

This is why B2B influencer marketing has moved from a niche experiment to a mainstream strategy. Done right, influencer partnerships help brands build credibility, cut through noise, and influence purchasing decisions far more effectively than traditional lead-gen campaigns.

Why B2B Influencer Marketing Matters Now

Five years ago, only half of B2B brands were testing influencer marketing. Fast forward to 2025, and it’s now a core part of the B2B marketing mix. According to industry surveys, the majority of B2B marketers say influencers deliver stronger engagement, higher trust, and better ROI than standard content campaigns.

And forget the idea of celebrities like Kylie Jenner promoting enterprise software. Today’s B2B influencers are industry experts, thought leaders, and practitioners who bring relevance, authority, and credibility to the conversation.

Building a Successful B2B Influencer Campaign

So how can brands build effective B2B influencer strategies in 2025? At Wildfire Labs, we’ve broken it down in our guide The Science of B2B Influence.

Here are the five essential steps:

• Think relevance, not reach – Choose influencers who actually shape your buyer’s decisions, not just those with the biggest following.

• Build credibility first – In B2B, being seen as an authority matters more than pushing product messages.

• Prioritise expertise over endorsements – The best B2B influencers educate and advise rather than “sell.”

• Play the long game – Relationships take time. Building trust with influencers and audiences is about consistency.

• Measure what matters – Track influence on pipeline quality, buyer engagement, and brand perception — not just vanity metrics.

Ready to Rethink Your B2B Marketing Strategy?

B2B influencer marketing isn’t a passing trend — it’s now a proven way to connect with buyers who demand authenticity and authority.

Download The Science of B2B Influence to learn how to future-proof your campaigns in 2025 and beyond.