The role of influencers in
Intro
We are firmly in the era of the creator economy, and its growth shows no signs of slowing down. Figures from Goldman Sachs [0] estimate that its value could approach half a trillion dollars globally by 2027. With brands across the board investing around 25% of their marketing budgets in influencer content, influencers are here to stay for both consumer brands and crucially those in the B2B space.
This is down partly to humans being humans – people are pushing the boundaries creatively and professionally, and audiences are showing a veracious appetite for content from the creator next door.
But platforms have also evolved – video-first spaces are nothing new, but apps such as TikTok have transitioned to become creator-friendly, with intuitive, in-built content editing functions that make it easier than ever to be an influencer and make a healthy living from it.
The result is a larger, more detailed network of professional influencers, each with their own specific niche and dedicated audience. It’s an unmissable opportunity for B2B marketers, who should be confident that, whatever their product or sector, there’s an influencer for that.
But how do I make it work for me?
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In this report, we chart the democratisation of ‘influence’ with the growth of social media and explore the role of the influencer in B2B communications.
Using research findings gathered from built environment professionals and the words and insights of those dubbed influencers themselves, we consider the opportunities and pitfalls of B2B influencer marketing, the relationship between influencers and their communities, and predict the future evolution of B2B influencer marketing against an ever-changing landscape.
Most crucially, we highlight how influencers are not just a consumer ‘thing’ and built environment brands that dismiss the power of the industry influencer could be missing out on a highly effective channel to reach and connect with audiences and support sales.
Power to the professional: the democratisation
of influence
(ˈɪnflʊənsə)
NOUN
a person who uses social media to promote lifestyle choices, commercial products, etc to his or her followers
2025 shows no signs of a slow down when it comes to our fascination with influencers and creators. The new year launched with a bang with Molly Mae’s behind-the-scenes documentary scoring Amazon Prime’s highest ever opening day ratings for a show in the UK.
While the meteoric rise of social media influencers like Molly Mae continues, influencing as a profession (or indeed a side hustle) is growing among professionals without seven-figure follower counts.
Likewise, UK consumers are showing an increased appetite to be influenced. Data from Neilson IQ showed the TikTok Shop was the fastest growing online retailer in 2024 with a 131% annual increase in the number of shoppers in the UK alone[1]. And shoppers aren’t just looking for endorsements – the most impactful influencer content types are in-depth product reviews and how-to videos.
It shows just how far influencer marketing has come since pre-social media endorsements like Michael Jordan’s $2.5m deal with Nike to create Air Jordans and Jennifer Anniston’s partnership with L’Oreal Elvive. It’s no longer enough to tag some star power onto your product. In fact, as the influencer’s required involvement with the product has increased, the amount of star power required has moved in the opposite direction.
But this is business (to business)
A world where influencers have smaller followings and spend more time with products brings significant opportunity for B2B marketers working with more complex products that take time to explain and appeal to smaller, more niche audiences.
Influencer marketing has hit the B2B sweet spot.
Putting the ‘human into B2B’ has long been a mantra of the sector – whether that's something which has been achieved or not is up for debate and definitely varies from brand to brand. But the adage ‘people buy from people’ is as true of B2B brands or corporate industries as it is the consumer sell. Influencers now have a core role to play in B2B communications and importantly across the built environment.
As with its consumer counterpart, the role of a respected figure on shaping opinion, action or a purchase is significant. Given the B2B world is defined by long purchase cycles and high-value transactions, the importance of a credible, detailed endorsement is even greater.
Talk to Tangerine about influencers today
Influencers vs the influential
Sharing the views and opinions of a company’s chief exec, researcher or head of innovation has been a B2B marketing tactic since the late 1990s, just under a different title.
In 1994, Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of US magazine Strategy & Business coined the phrase ‘thought leader’ as someone recognised “by peers, customers and industry experts[…] who deeply understands the business they are in, the needs of their customers and the broader marketplace in which they operate. They have distinctively original ideas, unique points of view and new insights.”
For many years, we’ve read the viewpoints of CEOs in broadsheets, listened to speakers at industry events or even bought and studied the books of business leaders.
When asked, business professionals are not constrained by fame or celebrity in their definition of an influencer. In fact, according to a survey of built environment leaders [4], 44% defined an influencer as a ‘credible expert in a particular industry or sector’, versus just 20% who said a celebrity paid to promote a product.
What has changed since the late 1990s however, is the evolution of social media and in turn, the channels and formats through which CEOs and business experts can share their expertise and capture the attention of their audience.
Industry influencer and sustainability expert Julie Hirigoyen (@JHirigoyen), who was interviewed as part of this report, agrees with the opportunity social media brings, as well as with it being an extension of more traditional networking and influencing:
“[There’s] more opportunity now that social media channels are so prevalent …I think given the nature of what I do, I’m constantly trying to influence, I’m trying to get people to change, to adopt a more sustainable mindset and set of actions. It’s in my DNA.”
Why are influencers on the rise in B2B?
Our research found that 58% of respondents believe the role of influencers is set to get bigger in B2B.
But what is making influencers increasingly popular in our industry and driving their ability to affect opinion and decisions?
Research carried out by Tangerine in conjunction with Competitive Advantage, as part of its renowned Construction Media Index, may hold some of the answers. [5]
Assessing the impact of influencers across industry sub-sectors an interesting pattern emerges. Take main contractors in the construction industry for example.
Typically, main contractor employees are part of large organisations, have lots of peers who they work alongside and are supported by internal recognition structures. Working in this environment, it might not be surprising that just 2% stated they follow industry influencers.
Conversely, trades such as plumbers often work for themselves or in isolation and tend to reach the ceiling of their progression early on. Here industry-specific influencers have a much greater role, with one of the most established in the sector – Plumberparts (@plumberparts) – having more than double the YouTube subscribers than there are registered plumbers in the UK.
This is something confirmed by fellow plumbing influencer Andy Cam who has 42k followers on X (@cosywarmplumber) and 22.9k on Instagram (i_love_plumbing), not to mention his own show on the increasingly popular Fix Radio : “My role is to help and show people…[plumbers] have a strong sense of community. It's diverse but we want to be all together.”
In isolated industries such as construction trades, which, for many years have relied on learning informally on the job and peer-to-peer recommendation, it’s clear to see how social media influencers are the natural next step when sole traders are looking for sources of help and advice.
Considering the role of influencers as a driving force for change, Julie Hirigoyen also believes its prevalence is more societal, political, as well as individual:
“I think [influencers] are absolutely crucial at this point in time…We know we’re facing unprecedented change and at an unprecedented pace… whether it be digital transformation, robotic technology, environmental degradation. I think the role of influencer is in being able to cut through and encourage positive change, positive action and somewhat disruptive thinking, to enable people to navigate all of that change in a constructive way.”
In practice: why communities count in the trade
Tradespeople aren’t one homogenous group; they exist in hundreds of small, tight-knit communities, all of which have their own specific skills, language, experience and indeed rivalries. Think Anchorman but with tools. They’ve built their skills over years in the business, and the arrival of social media has made it easier than ever to share, discuss and celebrate this.
What had once been a conversation at an industry event or over a pint can now be a visual, interactive experience led by a peer. It’s also not a one-off, tradespeople can now learn from one another consistently and with content they can return to whenever the job calls for it.
We’ve seen this take off in our work with plumbing and drainage manufacturer Wavin, with whom we’ve tapped into key plumbing influencers in a complex and varied industry. When we asked about the impact of social media on their work, they told us how it has been a force for education and collaboration:
“The connections you can make allow you to draw off other people’s experience. If someone has been in the industry for years or has specialist expertise, their content is window into what could be a new skill, tool, or connection for you.””
It’s clear that, in these communities, the reciprocal relationship between influencers goes beyond attention for entertainment – what the audience gets in return for their clicks and views is content that makes them better at what they do.
We’ve fed these insights into our work with Wavin’s plumbing arm, Hep2O. Instead of providing influencers with complex key messages to shoehorn into their content, we brought the key voices in the industry together and gave them the product, along with the power to make the content that they know their audience will be the most engaged with.
The result is real, detailed content that hits the mark. These influencer days are also a great opportunity to bring people into the heart of the business, show them around the factory, and build closer working relationships with these dedicated communities.
Talk to Tangerine about influencers today
What is an influencer in B2B terms?
While social media has contributed to the democratisation of opinion sharing and allowed people to communicate their views and advice more easily, just having a platform isn't enough, especially in B2B.
As part of our research with decision-makers in the built environment, we asked how they’d define an influential online personality, and over 40% said ‘a credible expert in a particular industry or sector’, closely followed by ‘people with the ability to attract the right people to your brand service or product.’
When asked what they think it takes to be an industry influencer, respondents said their top five attributes were:
As these results show, success as a built environment influencer is about more than just the capability to, or the frequency at which, you share views and information. It’s about having a rounded skill set that is focused on knowledge and trust.
As is the case in more traditional B2B marketing, a successful industry influencer doesn’t have to catch the attention of all people, just the right people at the right time. As a result, many successful B2B influencers are more likely to fall into the ‘nano’ category of influencer segmentation.
Compared to influencers in a consumer context, it also isn’t solely about popularity and follower numbers. In fact, just 3 respondents out of 99 surveyed mentioned follower numbers as an attribute of an influential online industry personality, something that makes them very distinct from the ‘internet famous’.
Sharing advice is central to these profiles. These trade influencers are adept at showing their tips and methods in practice through clear video and photography content – 60% of our tradespeople said they found this advice important (with 20% of this number saying they found it “very important”).
Followers do not equal influence
Instead, what’s more important in a B2B space is engagement and the ratio of followers versus those who like, click or share a person’s content.
Breaking this down further, you can split successful B2B influencers into two groups:
The experts: those who have built their status based on knowledge. This status is likely to exist on and offline. They’re likely to have a large but niche network, with the genuine trust of their followers.
The advocates: those who share their interests and views on products, brands or industries on social media within their niche community. Their position is often based on honesty and credibility, with followers knowing they’ll get the truth
“I suppose I’ve got to admit now, I am an influencer…I’ve been a plumber for 40 years, I’ve had my own business for 28 years. So I’ve got a bit of authority.”
Perceptions of influencers
It’s not all rosy in the influencer world though, and big steps have been taken to regulate the industry to preserve trust.
A lack of transparency around paid-for posts saw the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) introduce new guidelines around partnerships, and new terminology like ‘influencer fraud’ – the title given to those who inflate their statistics by buying followers, likes or clicks to secure marketing deals – were was invented.
While the immediacy of social media has proven a great opportunity to share information, trends and have host a quick-fire discussion, the ease of pressing send has also been the downfall of influencers in recent years. "It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but just a tweet post to ruin it", said architectural designer and industry influencer, Oliver Heath.
In fact, the declining reputation of the influencer has seen many try to turn away from the term, instead calling themselves ‘content creators’.
When interviewing our industry professionals, there was reticence to be labelled as an influencer, yet it’s unclear whether this is due to its reputation or if these experts feel they don’t have the fame or following to measure up to household name influencers like Molly-Mae. “I’m a recognised expert on certain topics,” Oliver added, “so I guess I am an influencer.”
Exploring the reputation of influencers in a B2B environment further, the results are mixed.
Built environment decision-makers side with the wider public perception, stating they dislike the 'selling out', 'fake news' and biased recommendations associated with influencer culture.
Drilling down into the construction industry specifically, findings from our research with Competitive Advantage revealed that housebuilders rank the trustworthiness of influencers at an average of 5.8 out of 10, while plumbers and architects place it at 6.5.
But conversely, contractors rank their trust of influencers at 8 out of 10, and in our study of the Futurebuild database, a quarter of respondents had recommended an industry influencer to a colleague or friend.
Results also found that LinkedIn and X are the two most popular channels for following influencers, with half of respondents using LinkedIn for this purpose.
These conflicting results from the built environment sector back up the belief that different audience groups have different views on influencers based on their role and working life. More broadly, it also shows that B2B audiences recognise industry influencers as a distinct entity from the more consumer idea of an influencer and, as such, have a more positive than negative perception.
How you should use influencers in built environment marketing
Despite the negative perceptions of influencers in a consumer context, the positive impact of influencers in built environment communities is undeniable far outweigh the negatives.
A study by TapInfluence, for instance, found that influencer marketing content delivers a return on investment that’s 11 times higher than traditional forms of digital marketing [6].
Likewise, research shows that 19% of the overall US economy (B2B and B2C) is driven specifically by word of mouth, but 91% of B2B transactions are at least impacted by word of mouth to some degree [7]. This suggests that, in fact, the opportunity and potential role of influencers in marketing campaigns is much larger in B2B than in more saturated consumer spaces.
While the statistics are convincing, a challenge faced by built environment marketers is knowing where to start, and especially in a space that, at times, can feel volatile and open to criticism.
Knowing your audience
Influencer marketing should be considered as part and parcel of any rounded marketing communications strategy, and, as always, it must start with the audience first. Think about who you want to target, where they source their information, and who they trust.
If your audience has a positive perception of industry figures, find out who influences them and who they look to for support and advice.
You might find there are individuals or organisations who are perfect partners, or you might find an opportunity to build an online profile for someone already in your business. Perhaps they’re well regarded in their sector, but haven’t made the leap to online? Consider how you can support them in building their social media presence and driving engagement.
Think beyond the follows
While reach should be considered when identifying influencers to work with, levels of engagement are much more important. As B2B often involves more niche audience groups, it’s unlikely partners will have macro levels of followers. What’s more important is that the influencer genuinely connects with your target audience group.
Balance advocate and experts
Think about what you're trying to achieve. If your aim is to drive legislative change or stimulate high-level discussion, you might want to opt for an influencer more focused on opinion forming.
If you’re looking to build awareness of a product or build confidence and credibility in a new solution or way of working, grass-roots advocates might be better suited.
With influencers, credibility is key so it’s important that your partnership feels natural and authentic.
The future of influencer marketing in the built environment
So, what does the future hold?
Research shows that influencers aren’t going anywhere. But there is an overwhelming trend towards greater authenticity, and in many forms.
Trust and transparency
Better transparency and truthfulness were cited as a growing trend by all of the industry influencers interviewed, perhaps as a direct response to declining authenticity that has been well publicised in consumer circles.
“Responsibility” was the word used by architectural designer, Oliver Heath, placing a similar moral duty on influencers as he would a journalist.
Likewise, Julie Hirigoyen questions whether social media has allowed for too much democratisation, making it hard to identify the genuine experts from those sharing an opinion, or worse, constructing a false narrative.
At a more grassroots level, plumbing influencer, Andy Cam also shared this view saying that some influencers will say "anything they're paid to", yet professional communities are quick to identify the genuine from the fake.
Robustness and rigour
As a direct result of trends such as influencer fraud, the coming years will also see marketing teams approaching influencer selection with greater rigour and insight – the same approach they would ordinarily take in selecting any other marketing channel.
Influencer marketing experts also believe that businesses will take a step away from quantitative results of influencer marketing campaigns, in favour of more qualitative measures. Following the changes to Instagram with the removal of post likes, perhaps brands will begin to favour reporting more based on sentiment and perceptions?
Real and organic
The popularity of behind the scenes content and #instareality is a direct reaction to the curated perfection influencer feeds that the public is growing tired of. Taking this a step further, it’s likely that the power of influencer culture will shift even further into the hands of nano influencers and beyond.
'Organic influencers' have been lauded as the next big thing on social media, but again it's not a revolutionary concept.
Rather than relying on mega or macro-influencers, brands are seeing the power of real-life reviews from genuine customers who are taking to social media to recommend and endorse their products. Companies that openly encourage feedback mechanisms and provide platforms and communities for customers to share their experiences are reaping the rewards and creating powerful advocates (regardless of their follower numbers) in return.
[0] https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027
[1] https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/discover-tiktok-shop
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44952480
[3] https://www.vuelio.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/UK-Bloggers-Survey-2019.pdf
[4] Futurebuild survey of 99 built environment professionals carried out on behalf of Tangerine in October 2019
[5] https://cadvantage-knowledge.co.uk/product/market-understanding/report/construction-media-index-2019/
[6] TapInfluence with Nielsen Catalina Solutions, 2016
[7] Research by University of Southern Mississippi
This is the moment for your brand.
We’re firmly in the sweet spot for influencers in B2B marketing. There are more influencers out there, making better content on complex products and services, and their audiences are more engaged than ever.
Brands have an opportunity to tap into the huge amount of power that these influencers have in their communities, and it won’t cost the world to activate it.