At the recent Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a significant shift in the creator economy was palpable. For the first time, over 250 creators were integrated directly into the main festival footprint, a record-breaking number that signifies a pivotal moment in how brands engage with influential voices. This surge in creator participation coincided with a strategic move by LinkedIn, which launched its Creator Marketplace within Campaign Manager. This new tool is designed to streamline the process for B2B brands seeking to identify and collaborate with credible professional voices. The timing of this launch is underscored by LinkedIn’s own 2026 Global B2B Marketing Outlook research, conducted with YouGov, which highlights a growing recognition of the power of individual expertise in B2B decision-making.
This research reinforces a trend that has been gaining momentum: B2B buying decisions have always been influenced more by trusted individual voices than by corporate brands, but this level of influence is now accelerating dramatically. This heightened demand for authentic, expert voices is driving increased investment in creator partnerships. However, it also presents a growing challenge for brands and agencies. The scarcity of top-tier influencers is becoming acute, with many already finding it difficult to secure responses to partnership proposals, even when those offers are lucrative and from well-established brands.
In this evolving landscape, B2B brands are tasked with identifying where to find the most trusted voices for their buyers. While engaging with industry influencers and creators remains a viable strategy, a significant, often overlooked, opportunity lies in elevating the visibility and influence of executives already within the company. These individuals possess deep expertise, established customer relationships, and the invaluable credibility of lived experience—qualities that artificial intelligence cannot replicate and that even the most camera-savvy creators may lack the depth to convey. The primary challenge for most B2B brands is not the absence of this internal expertise, but rather the lack of a systematic approach to transform that inherent credibility into compelling content that drives visibility, builds trust, and ultimately fosters decision confidence among buyers.
This article makes the case for investing in B2B executive influence, explains why the accelerating adoption of AI in buyer journeys makes this investment even more critical, and outlines ten high-impact strategies for cultivating executive influence, regardless of whether leaders are natural social media proponents or not.
Understanding Executive Influence in B2B Marketing
Executive influence, in the context of B2B marketing, refers to the strategic practice of enhancing the visibility, credibility, and audience of a company’s leaders. The goal is to leverage their expertise to attract, engage, and reassure potential buyers throughout their entire customer lifecycle. This approach integrates various elements, including thought leadership content creation, active social media engagement, strategic influencer collaborations, and proactive earned media efforts, all orchestrated into a cohesive, ongoing program. The ultimate outcome is the transformation of company executives into sought-after trusted voices, a reputation that then transfers to the brand itself.
Research Underscores the Power of Internal Expertise
The evidence supporting the efficacy of executive influence has been accumulating for years. A comprehensive B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report by TopRank Marketing revealed that a significant 65% of B2B marketers considered their internal executives to be "very or extremely effective" in increasing brand influence. Notably, not a single respondent rated executives as ineffective in this regard. Furthermore, 75% of marketers reported collaborating with executives to build credibility with customers, and 63% specifically cited improving sales conversations as a key objective for these collaborations.
The appetite for leveraging internal executive voices was already near universal, with over 60% of marketers actively working with their leaders to foster thought leadership and influence, and an additional 23% expressing a desire to do so. This indicates that more than eight in ten B2B marketers recognize executive influence as a crucial component of maintaining relevance in the market.
More recent research further illuminates why leading B2B organizations are consistently investing in building this internal influence. The State of B2B Thought Leadership in 2026, a report produced by TopRank Marketing in collaboration with Ascend2, found that 74% of B2B marketers who frequently collaborate with influencers rated their research-based content as "very effective," a stark contrast to the 29% effectiveness rating among all other marketers. This study identified credible human voices, whether internal or external to the brand, as the single most significant effectiveness multiplier.
Beyond this, other industry research consistently points to the same conclusion. Thought leadership content serves as an ideal platform for integrating executive influence with industry influencers. The Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study discovered that a substantial 74% of decision-makers view thought leadership as more trustworthy than product marketing materials. Moreover, 95% of "hidden buyers"—those not yet actively engaging with sales teams—reported that strong thought leadership makes them more receptive to outreach. Research from the IBM Institute for Business Value has even quantified the financial impact of thought leadership, estimating its influence on approximately $265 billion in annual global spending and delivering an average return on investment (ROI) of 156%, a figure roughly 16 times better than traditional marketing efforts.
Consistently, TopRank Marketing’s research indicates that 66% of B2B marketers state that internal executives have been "very or extremely effective" at increasing brand influence. Marketers who regularly collaborate with influential voices are more than twice as likely to deem their content as very effective. The fundamental principle underlying these findings is straightforward: buyers trust people. And B2B brands already have a wealth of these trusted individuals within their own organizations. With ample evidence supporting the power of building influence from within, the critical question becomes how B2B brands can translate this insight into tangible action. This discussion is further complicated, and indeed amplified, by the pervasive rise of artificial intelligence.
The AI Imperative: Why Authentic Executive Voices Are More Valuable Than Ever
The potential for artificial intelligence to revolutionize B2B marketing is immense, but it is crucial to understand that AI is not a magic bullet. Instead, AI acts as an amplifier, enhancing what already exists. Unfortunately, B2B marketing has not historically been renowned for groundbreaking creativity. Consequently, AI is accelerating the average of what is currently being produced, enabling mediocrity at scale for many B2B marketers. This proliferation of AI-generated content has, in turn, made genuine human credibility an even scarcer and more valuable asset. Simultaneously, AI has fundamentally altered where and how this credibility is discovered.
One of the most significant shifts is in buyer behavior. Forrester’s Buyers’ Journey Survey revealed that a staggering 94% of business buyers now incorporate AI into their purchasing processes. Furthermore, twice as many buyers cited generative AI or conversational search as more meaningful sources of information than any other channel, surpassing vendor websites, product experts, and even sales representatives.
This change in buyer behavior directly impacts vendor selection. According to G2’s 2026 Buyer Behavior Report, which surveyed 1,076 B2B software decision-makers, 51% now initiate software research with an AI chatbot more frequently than with Google, a notable increase from just 29% eleven months prior. Perhaps more strikingly, 69% of buyers reported choosing a different software vendor than they initially intended, based on AI chatbot guidance, with one-third purchasing from vendors they had never previously encountered.
The impact of AI is particularly pronounced in the realm of thought leadership content. The Answer Engine B2B Thought Leadership report indicated that 32% of professionals now discover thought leadership through GenAI tools, a channel that was largely absent from most marketer distribution lists only a few years ago.
While considerable advice exists on how AI engines determine which brands to recommend, the underlying principles often revolve around consensus and proof. Answers generated by Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI search engines favor named, credible sources attributed to experts, especially those whose expertise is corroborated across the web. LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most frequently cited sources in professional AI chatbot queries, and only publicly accessible content appears in these answers. Consequently, an executive who consistently publishes content in the public domain is actively building AI citation inventory for their brand with every post, irrespective of whether it reaches their immediate follower base.
Concurrently, the sheer volume of AI-generated content has rendered authentic human perspective one of the most scarce and valuable assets in B2B marketing. As Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, observed, "We’re surrounded by sameness right now, so when a real human voice comes through, when there’s empathy, curiosity, even vulnerability, that’s what cuts through."
B2B executive influence content serves a dual purpose: it persuades the humans making critical buying decisions and simultaneously feeds the AI engines that determine which brands are recommended and considered for shortlists. Every podcast episode, LinkedIn post, contributed article, and co-created insight functions as both a trust signal to buyers and a citation source for answer engines. This dual payoff is the core advantage of executive influence, and the following strategies outline how B2B brands can effectively harness it.
10 High-Impact Strategies for Building B2B Executive Influence
The following strategies are informed by over a decade of experience in developing influence programs for B2B brands. Each approach is designed to serve both B2B buyers and enhance AI visibility concurrently. For a more extensive tactical framework, refer to our comprehensive guide to building B2B executive credibility and thought leadership.
1. Launch a Video Podcast Featuring Your Executives
A single recording session can yield a wealth of content: full podcast episodes, short-form video clips, compelling quote graphics, blog posts, newsletter content, and audio-only versions. This repurposing engine can significantly amplify limited executive time across every channel where your buyers are actively seeking information. Podcasts, in particular, can be a goldmine for the kind of content that AI search and LLMs prefer to cite. The executive does not need to be the host; a PR or marketing leader can anchor the series, or an industry influencer can be engaged to interview brand executives, reducing the burden on the executive and injecting third-party credibility.
2. Co-Create Content with Established Industry Influencers
What better way to cultivate influence than by collaborating with those who already possess it? Association transfers authority. When respected voices appear alongside your executives, their credibility naturally extends to your leaders, and their established audiences can significantly expand your reach. This is the principle behind the dramatic effectiveness gap observed in our thought leadership research (74% versus 29%). This collaboration works in both directions, as B2B influencers, even when compensated, value access to genuine executive expertise and alignment with brands that resonate with their subject matter and community.
Consider a podcast program we developed for a global enterprise software brand. An influencer host with a large, engaged technology audience anchored the series, interviewing expert guests aligned with specific business units. As the program evolved, each episode incorporated audio snippets from industry influencers, customers, and the brand’s own executives, weaving them into a cohesive narrative. Over a single season, the series featured more than 35 distinct voices. Each episode was accompanied by a transcript, an optimized landing page, and social amplification efforts activated by the host, guests, employees, and brand channels. The results were impressive: average 30-day episode downloads were 71% higher than the previous season and 100% above the industry benchmark for new podcast launches. The potential social reach expanded to 39 million (a 200% year-over-year increase), and social engagements surged by 409%. Through this program, executives gained significant visibility and credibility through association, without the pressure of carrying the entire show alone.
3. Build a LinkedIn Engagement System
Consistent publishing on LinkedIn is important, but engagement is paramount. This includes actively commenting on industry conversations, responding to buyer inquiries, and collaborating with other influential voices. Success hinges on understanding which accounts are most relevant, what matters to those accounts, and the appropriate context for interaction. LinkedIn’s significant investment in its creator ecosystem means the platform is actively amplifying individual voices over company pages. B2B executives who may not have the capacity for daily posting can still maintain a consistent presence through an assisted cadence, with editorial support that preserves their authentic voice.
4. Contribute to and Champion Original Research
Executives quoted in proprietary research inherit its authority and its associated citations. Original research stands out as the most trusted content type. In our B2B Thought Leadership study, 35% of B2B marketers identified original research as significantly more valuable than AI-generated content for building trust, with an additional 32% deeming it more impactful overall. B2B brands that feature their executives in research reports provide a platform for those executives to offer context to the findings, and crucially, a mechanism for them to be cited in industry coverage of that research, thereby expanding their professional footprint and credibility.
5. Pursue Earned Media and Analyst Citations Deliberately
Third-party validation is a powerful tool for compounding executive influence. Press quotes, analyst mentions, and industry awards can significantly bolster an executive’s reputation with buyers. Brand mentions across credible third-party sources are among the strongest indicators that correlate with AI citations. Making media availability and commentary an ongoing component of an executive’s program should begin with enhancing their social footprint and establishing credibility that is worth citing.
6. Speak at Industry Events, Then Repurpose Everything
A single keynote presentation can serve as the foundation for numerous content assets: video clips, contributed articles, social media assets, and podcast material. In-person events consistently rank among the most effective B2B channels year after year. Even a single stage photo serves as a powerful credibility signal that endures long after the event concludes. Events also present opportunities to appear on on-site podcasts, have your editorial team cover the executive’s presence, or arrange for industry influencers to interview your executives at the event for cross-promotional purposes on their channels.
7. Publish a Signature Point of View
A recurring, distinctly named editorial asset—whether a LinkedIn newsletter, a dedicated column, or a monthly video series—provides buyers with a compelling reason to subscribe and equips AI engines with a consistent, authoritative source to attribute. In this context, thematic consistency is more critical than sheer frequency. The objective is for the executive to become the recognized voice, or the "best answer," on a specific set of topics that are of paramount importance to your buyers. Unique perspectives, shared through the lens of lived experience, are inherently difficult for AI to replicate and challenging for competitors to counter.
8. Activate Employee Amplification Around Executive Content
A long-standing principle in influence marketing is that "if they care, they’ll share." Your workforce can serve as a powerful distribution network, imbued with built-in trust. Employee sharing of content on social channels can extend executive reach at no media cost and, when executed effectively, adds the authenticity of colleagues endorsing their leaders. Guidance on building such a system can be found in our resource, "How to Build a B2B Influence Engine From Within."
9. Engage Prospect and Customer Networks Directly
Beyond content creation, executive influence can be a potent relationship asset. Thoughtful engagement with the networks of key prospects and customers can significantly warm sales conversations before they even commence. In our past research, 63% of B2B marketers cited building executive credibility specifically to improve sales conversations, highlighting this as a critical area for focused effort with direct ties to measurable ROI.
Consider a program we manage for the CEO of a global technology company. This initiative pairs strategic LinkedIn content, derived from the CEO’s authentic perspectives, with targeted networking. This involves deliberate, ongoing engagement with a curated list of prospect and consultant contacts. Over a single year, the program nurtured 204 targeted professionals through direct engagement, grew the CEO’s connections by 8.4% and followers by 10.3%, and increased content views by 33% and engagements by 43% year-over-year, achieving an engagement rate roughly double the industry average. Most telling, top-performing posts consistently reached audiences that were 90% to 99% external, including prospects, customers, and consultants. The program also facilitated new connections with senior leaders at some of the world’s largest enterprises.
10. Measure Influence Like a Program
There can be a natural inclination to treat executive influence initiatives as focused on individual performance. However, for maximum impact, it is crucial to approach the development of executive influence as a comprehensive program, which necessitates accountability. Key metrics to track include share of voice on priority topics, AI citations of executive content, earned media mentions, the quality of audience growth, and pipeline influence. Like any other B2B marketing activity, what gets measured is more likely to secure budget, and executive influence programs that report tangible business outcomes are better positioned to withstand leadership changes and budget cycles.
Addressing the "Not a Social Media Natural" Executive
This is one of the most frequently encountered challenges. The fundamental answer is that influence programs are built on robust systems, not on personality contests. Most successful executive influence programs are supported by a dedicated infrastructure: research, strategic planning, and editorial support that faithfully preserves the executive’s authentic voice; a repurposing engine that maximizes limited executive time; influencer relationships brokered on their behalf; and coordinated efforts that ensure multiple leaders reinforce a common narrative rather than working at cross-purposes.
Consider a program we developed for a Fortune 50 B2B technology brand. The company had multiple executives willing to participate, each with a distinct role, voice, and varying levels of comfort on social media. TopRank Marketing designed a social engagement and influence development program tailored to each executive’s unique style, carefully coordinating their messaging so that leaders across the business reinforced a unified narrative. The execution strategy combined optimized social content creation, continuous influencer relationship building, and creative collaboration. The results were remarkable: 480% over benchmark impressions, a 21% month-over-month increase in new followers, a 14% month-over-month increase in new LinkedIn connections, and multiple organic features within the LinkedIn newsfeed. The program extended beyond social media, fostering real-world influencer relationships that led to opportunities such as hosting livestream events and speaking engagements at quarterly sales meetings.
The consistent pattern across every executive influence program we have implemented is that B2B executives do not need to become content creators themselves. Instead, they require a system that effectively captures their genuine expertise and disseminates it strategically to the audiences and AI engines that are actively seeking it.
The Unfolding Opportunity: Building B2B Influence From Within
From the global stage of Cannes Lions to the professional networking hub of LinkedIn’s Creator Marketplace, the narrative of the creator economy is increasingly permeating B2B marketing conversations. Buyer trust in individual voices is demonstrably on the rise, and AI engines now play a significant role in determining which brands are recommended and make it onto initial consideration lists, often before any direct sales interaction occurs. There is a clear and compelling reason why more B2B companies are seeking support for C-level and executive visibility initiatives, ranging from podcasting to social engagement, than ever before.
Every trend and force discussed in this analysis favors B2B brands that strategically invest in executive influence now. Cultivating credible executive voices takes time, and the competition for attention within any given category is only intensifying. The executives who actively publish, engage, and collaborate today will undoubtedly be the voices that AI engines cite and buyers trust tomorrow.
For those seeking to understand the trajectory of B2B influence, early access to our 2026 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report is available. For organizations ready to proactively build influence for their B2B executives, regardless of their existing social media proficiency, now is the opportune moment to engage.
