How they did it. IBM worked with The Goat Agency to reach developers and C-Suite decision-makers. They identified 7 influencers, a mix of developers and AI experts, and ran a two-batch approach: first the creators previewed a project built using Granite, then they shared the finished project and how Granite helped them get there. The second wave hooked audiences who had seen the preview and wanted to see the results.

How they did it. Dell produced a study called "The Data Paradox" and partnered with TopRank Marketing to build excitement and grow its reputation. TopRank identified and collaborated with 8 individual influencers who had deep expertise within Dell's target network, and they promoted an interactive eBook through social media and video. Dell's own 39 brand social posts added 1.1k asset clicks and 1.6k engagements.

How they did it. For SAP's "Tech Unknown" podcast, TopRank dropped the traditional interview format and featured multiple influencers per episode as co-hosts and guests, each bringing their own audience and cross-promoting the episodes. For Sprinklr's "Socialverse" masterclass, TopRank ran a documentary-style event featuring prominent B2B voices like Jay Baer and Ann Handley to reach smaller enterprise social teams. Sprinklr exceeded its benchmarks in accounts reached and Marketing Qualified Leads, contributing to significant new Annual Recurring Revenue.

How they did it. Engine partnered with The Shelf and focused on authentic, skit-style content that named the pain points of corporate travel, lost receipts and clunky group logistics, and showed how Engine solves them. They worked with 10 micro and mid-tier creators across corporate, travel, and lifestyle spaces. The winning creator content then fed paid ads at a 2.49% click-through rate, 3.5 times the industry benchmark, on 11.7 million paid impressions, with 602 total mid-funnel actions.

How they did it. Leica Geosystems worked with Chirp PR, which found a gap in conversations about technology as an enabler in heavy construction and vetted one highly niche partner, Scott Colclough (@Pushysix), a 20-year construction veteran. They made customer breakdowns, in-the-field video tutorials, and podcasts, and engagement grew more than 150% between year one and year two. TrueLook, a construction-site camera provider, worked with Zen Media, which reviewed over 80 potential influencers and selected just three with a combined reach of 215,000 to reach 500,000 people and generate 548 new leads.

The mechanism, step by step

1. 1

   Lean into community and creators early

   Notion made community and influencer marketing a core part of its early growth phase.

2. 2

   Favor YouTube creators

   They focused heavily on YouTube creators rather than spreading thin across formats.

3. 3

   Buy full videos, not 60-second reads

   Full, dedicated videos performed much better than 60-second ad reads, even though they cost more to sponsor.

4. 4

   Bank the evergreen tail

   Those videos kept producing signups months after going live, often at a cost per signup of less than $1.

How they did it. To attract small businesses to advertise on its platform, TikTok for Business enlisted small-business owners who were already winning on the app. Those creators made authentic videos teaching the target audience how to succeed on TikTok, so the message landed as peer advice rather than a sales pitch.

None of these brands relied on a banner buy. Each one handed the message to a credible expert and measured what came back. Here is the contrast the numbers keep showing.

• ✓Expertise beats reach. A handful of credible niche experts, even just three creators for TrueLook, can outperform a big generic buy.
• ✓Format matters. Full videos, co-hosted podcasts, skits, and tutorials get watched, while 60-second ad reads get skipped.
• ✓Measure to pipeline, not vanity. The strongest programs report signups, leads, MQLs, and a real cost per acquisition.
• ✓Let customers teach customers. Peer voices and project storytelling read as honest, which is what wins a long B2B sale.