Lee Odden works on B2B influencer marketing and thought leadership. Odden shares research-informed advice on matching creators and content to buyer-journey stages, and on using original research and influencer partnerships to build trust.
Lee Odden is useful for advising on B2B influencer marketing and thought leadership across buyer journey stages.
B2B brands planning research-led thought leadership and creator partnerships by buyer stage.
Performance teams seeking guaranteed leads from one sponsored LinkedIn post.
Check first: Confirm audience demographics, sponsored-post rates, reach guarantees, and a direct inquiry route.
Lee Odden's posts offer advice on B2B influencer marketing and thought leadership.
Odden connects partner selection to campaign goals.
Lee Odden advises B2B companies to move beyond generic influencer campaigns and plan their content strategy carefully.
They argue that modern B2B marketing depends on matching creators to specific, measurable stages of the buyer's journey and developing unique, data-driven content for the age of AI search.
Lee Odden says companies struggle to find suitable B2B influencers because they take a “one size fits all” approach to outreach.
Success, they argue, depends on mapping content topics and influencer profiles to specific marketing outcomes—not simply searching for the most popular figures.
Lee Odden cites research showing that finding the right B2B influencers starts with a clear content strategy, before any partnership outreach.
Lee Odden advises companies to assign creators roles based on where potential customers are in the buying process.
“Brand individuals” can build top-of-funnel awareness, while “practitioners” and “subject matter experts” are better suited to driving engagement and consideration. Customers who share real-world challenge-and-solution stories can have the greatest impact at the final decision-making stage.
For growth at the evaluation stage, B2B marketers should seek creators who excel at solving practical problems. At the early awareness stage, famous brand figures may be a better fit.
In a market saturated with AI-generated content, Lee Odden argues that B2B brands must stand out with unique, proprietary data.
Paired with earned media and strategic distribution, original research provides “signals” that Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI search engines use to recognize a brand as a trusted authority.
To boost visibility in AI search, Lee Odden recommends pairing original research with experiential content and digital PR. Relying on large, one-off press releases is no longer enough.
B2B content is spreading beyond traditional channels like LinkedIn, Lee Odden says.
They urge marketers to consider platforms including Substack, TikTok, and YouTube—and to distinguish between “influencers” and “creators.” That distinction helps identify partners whose content goals align with modern buyer attention spans.
Lee Odden recommends evaluating creators on their ability to produce high-quality, platform-appropriate content across niche channels, rather than relying on follower count alone.
Newcomers will learn that influencer marketing takes more than finding and hiring notable people: it requires a clear, research-backed plan.
Lee Odden says finding suitable B2B influencers is a primary challenge for marketers. Success depends not just on identifying them, but on a solid content strategy that maps topics and goals to each influencer and their audience.
Before seeking or engaging creators, define the campaign’s messaging, topics and desired outcomes in a detailed content strategy. This helps target brand exposure and avoid wasted investment.
Marketers looking beyond traditional awareness metrics will find a data-backed approach to structuring influencer involvement across the sales cycle.
Lee Odden cautions against “one size fits all” influence campaigns. Research indicates that B2B marketers with the most effective influencer programs integrate them into specific stages of the customer journey, including evaluation, decision and post-sale.
Rather than using influencers only to build top-of-funnel awareness, assign creators to specific mid- and late-funnel stages. Their content is then more likely to support business outcomes such as consideration or conversion.
This piece explains how marketers can adapt PR strategies as AI and search engine algorithms change.
Lee Odden highlights the growing importance of digital PR in increasing brand visibility in AI search results. They share industry experts’ insights on why traditional tactics—such as issuing massive press releases or targeting only big-name outlets—are no longer the most effective signals for large language models (LLMs).
Build a steady cadence of high-quality earned media and original content to establish authority, rather than chasing one-off, large-scale press features.
For B2B marketers facing content saturation, this article offers a framework for using original insights to make content stand out.
Lee Odden argues that in an era of AI-generated content, brands can differentiate themselves by combining original research with influencer and experiential content. They advise B2B brands to build a comprehensive system of data-informed, multichannel experiences to earn trust and drive revenue.
Prioritize unique, proprietary data or research: it gives a campaign a distinctive hook that AI-generated content cannot replicate and supports authoritative content that drives brand demand.
New marketers can use this article to sharpen their search criteria: distinguishing influencers from creators is a vital first step in finding the right strategic fit.
Lee Odden discusses how major social platforms are increasing support for creator development. They distinguish “influencers” from “creators” and explain why successful B2B strategies require understanding the difference and looking beyond LinkedIn to channels such as Substack, TikTok and YouTube.
Decide whether a partnership calls for a traditional “influencer,” focused on reach, or a specialized “creator,” known for niche, platform-specific authority. That choice determines which platforms to use and how to recruit for the campaign.
Lee Odden says finding the right B2B influencers is challenging, and many companies fail by taking a “one size fits all” approach to research.
Success depends on aligning influencers and their audiences with a specific content strategy, not using standardized research.
Advisory
Define the content story and target topics before vetting influencers. Instead of seeking a generally “popular” partner, find creators whose audiences and subject matter align with the campaign’s goals.
Match the content strategy to the buyer’s place in the purchasing cycle.
Odden says “famous brand individuals” work best for top-of-funnel awareness, “practitioners/subject matter experts” for engagement and consideration, and “customers telling practical stories” for the decision-making stage.
Categorization
Build a targeted campaign plan that assigns content types and creator roles to each stage of the customer lifecycle—awareness, engagement, decision and post-sale—to keep messages relevant.
To stand out in an AI-dominated content landscape, Odden recommends combining original research with influencer and experiential content.
They advise using earned media and digital PR, such as guest posts, to create quality signals that Large Language Models (LLMs) use to assess a brand’s authority.
Signal Creation
Prioritize verifiable, data-backed original research paired with strategic media pickups. These signals can help a brand become the “best answer” in AI search, beyond traditional paid advertising.
B2B content now extends beyond platforms like LinkedIn.
Odden points to communities on Substack, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms that support creator development and a growing range of high-quality B2B content. They also recommend distinguishing between “influencers” and “creators” when selecting partners.
Platform Analysis
Distribute content across multiple platforms. When evaluating potential partners, look beyond follower counts to creators’ ability to produce high-quality, platform-appropriate content that fits each channel’s strengths.
Examples: Source 1
Lee Odden’s posts document B2B marketing research conducted with Ascend2 and work published through TopRank Marketing.
Ask about the nature and terms of those relationships.
Disclosed partnership
Odden describes B2B marketing research conducted with Ascend2, including a study of nearly 800 B2B marketers.
Disclosed partnership
Odden refers to TopRank Marketing’s B2B Marketing Blog and to “our” research and influencer marketing team.
Lee Odden’s posts are easiest to navigate by the question you need to answer.
If you’re building an influencer program, start with the argument that campaigns fail when the partner list comes before the plan, then explore which voices—well-known industry figures, working practitioners, subject-matter experts, and customers telling practical stories—suit awareness, consideration, and decision stages.
Both treat creator partnerships as a core marketing engine, not a side tactic, and offer step-by-step advice on recruiting creators at scale, briefing them, and sustaining relationships that produce usable content month after month.
Riley Cronin writes from the consumer and e-commerce side, focusing on performance-based pay, affiliate revenue, TikTok Shop, live shopping, and reading a profit-and-loss statement. Lee Odden writes for B2B marketers, focusing on mapping creator types to funnel stages and earning credibility in AI and search results.
Read original · Original 2 · Original 3 · Original 4 · Original 5
Both evaluate creators by their numbers, not their fame, and argue that an influencer program’s value depends on what happens after the content is made and whether results can be measured against revenue.
Davy Laudet focuses on e-commerce platform capabilities: rights-cleared assets, reuse in paid media and on product pages, and smaller creators outperforming larger ones on impressions per follower at equal spend. Lee Odden focuses on B2B thought leadership, original research, and being cited by AI search and industry media.
Both push back on underinvestment in the people and channels that carry a brand’s story, arguing that social and creator content deserve the same planning and budget treatment as a retail or paid media launch.
Keeley Mazurek writes about social as a distribution channel and how to staff it, targeting DTC and consumer brands.
Lee Odden’s posts focus on B2B influencer marketing, thought leadership, and matching creators and content to buyer-journey stages.
The subject matter suits a B2B thought-leadership campaign, but their posts don’t identify who follows or engages with them. Before shortlisting, request recent audience survey results or another documented source showing relevant professional attributes, such as roles, industries, and seniority.
Lee Odden advises B2B brands on optimizing influencer marketing and thought leadership programs.
They develop content plans that match creators and content to stages of the buyer's journey, integrate original research and use digital platforms to build trust and achieve full-funnel results. Their expertise centers on advisory services for B2B marketers.
Brands seek guidance on content strategies that map influencers to stages of the customer journey—awareness, engagement, decision and post-sale—using original research and experiential content.
A B2B software company wants a thought-leadership campaign that builds trust across awareness, evaluation, and post-sale education.
Strong subject-matter fit for campaign strategy. Consider Lee Odden for advisory or strategic content work, not as a guaranteed-reach media buy.
Lee Odden's posts argue that creator roles and content should match buyer stages: prominent voices for awareness, practitioners for engagement and consideration, and customers’ practical stories for decision-making. They also recommend original research, experiential content, and influencer input across the customer lifecycle. Ask prospective partners to verify that their audience includes the intended professional audience.
A brand wants a multichannel thought-leadership campaign built around original research, with earned-media signals that may improve visibility in AI search.
Good strategic fit if the brief includes research, creator selection, and distribution planning.
Lee Odden connects original research, influencer partnerships, experiential content, and media coverage to building trust and visibility. If the team expects one post or one major press hit to deliver a predictable search or revenue result, agree on scope and measurable expectations first.
A performance team needs a guaranteed number of qualified leads from a single sponsored LinkedIn post within two weeks.
Poor fit based on Lee Odden's posts.
Lee Odden's posts argue against judging every influencer activity by lead generation, recommending instead that activity and measures match the buyer stage. Before shortlisting, ask for current audience-demographic data, sponsored-post rates, reach guarantees, and a direct inquiry route; don't assume access to a relevant audience or promise a lead outcome without separate evidence.
A B2B agency is helping a cybersecurity company introduce research on how security teams assess AI risk. The goal is to build credibility through awareness and evaluation, then give buyers useful decision-stage material.
Turn the research into a staged, evidence-led campaign rather than a one-off influencer post. First, publish the findings with a clear explanation of the survey and its limits. Use a recognizable industry voice to introduce the issue, invite practitioners to discuss what the findings mean in real security workflows, and create customer-led examples showing how teams addressed a practical challenge. Distribute the material through suitable channels, including earned media where there is a genuine news angle. Give the sales team a concise findings brief for evaluation conversations.
Define the target roles, industries, and buyer stage for each asset.
Ask prospective partners for current audience information to verify its relevance; Lee Odden's posts do not provide audience demographics.
Agree on stage-specific measures before launch, such as qualified reach for awareness, engagement with practitioner material, and use of customer examples in evaluation conversations.
Confirm scope, deliverables, and commercial terms directly. Ask for rates and an inquiry link; the available partnership evidence describes advisory and strategic content but provides neither.
This applies Lee Odden’s distinction between awareness, consideration, and decision roles, along with their emphasis on original research paired with creator and media activity.
When the need is ecommerce or DTC performance rather than B2B buyer education: building a brand-owned creator community that produces organic video at scale, recruiting creators on a performance basis and using organic data to decide which posts to scale as paid ads.
Cronin's two posts describe the process step by step: recruit 100+ creators a month, pay with product, affiliate commission and a share of ad revenue, brief and coach them, then flight the top organic videos as Meta Partnership Ads and move consistent performers onto retainers. If the agency's client measures creator work by creative volume, cost per testable ad and affiliate return, Cronin addresses the decision Odden's funnel-stage planning leaves open.
The posts focus on consumer and ecommerce: Instagram communities, Meta partnership ads, affiliate revenue and live shopping.
When the agency needs a defensible answer on how many creators to use and at what tier, plus a reason to keep the resulting content reusable beyond social.
Laudet's posts make a specific claim: 20 creators at roughly 2,500 followers each produce 2.25x the impressions and 5x the content of 4 creators at 10,000 followers for the same spend, with smaller accounts generating twice the impressions per follower.
The impressions figures come from data the author collected at Flowbox and appear in a post pointing to that company's blog.
When the client's need is social-first: the client wants to treat Instagram as a distribution channel and needs someone to argue for investing in it, including funding and staffing the social role as a top-line marketing manager rather than a posting job.
Mazurek's Sephora/Target comparison puts organic social on the same footing as a retail launch—merchandising, education and campaigns—and asks whether a brand gives social the same energy as a new retail push, email or paid media campaign.
Both posts focus on DTC and social channels; neither discusses B2B influencer selection, funnel-stage mapping, original research or earned media.
Editable Markdown templates for planning a campaign with this creator.
