If your organisation isn’t maintaining continuous influencer relationships, your programme is 17 times more likely to underperform. That’s the finding from TopRank Marketing’s 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report, which surveyed more than 400 marketing professionals across leading organisations.

While nearly two-thirds of B2B companies now operate influencer programmes, the research reveals a significant performance gap between those that treat influencer marketing as a sustained strategy and those that execute it through isolated campaigns.

What the Data Reveals

Among the most successful B2B influencer programmes, 82% adopt an “always-on” approach. In contrast, only 39% of less effective programmes follow the same model. The evidence suggests that continuous engagement rather than intermittent collaboration supports long-term success.

“Always-on” means more than ongoing activity. It reflects a commitment to cultivating long-term partnerships with influencers who become familiar with a brand’s vision, voice, and values. Rather than engaging talent around product launches or events, these brands collaborate continuously, creating content that reinforces authenticity and consistency.

Ann Handley, who contributed to the TopRank Marketing study, described B2B influencer marketing as being in its “high school” years,  still evolving but increasingly sophisticated. The always-on approach represents this maturation, replacing transactional campaigns with sustained partnerships built on trust and shared understanding.

Sustained Engagement Outperforms One-Off Campaigns

Three core factors explain why always-on strategies outperform campaign-based approaches.

First, it is long-term collaboration that can foster a deeper understanding of brand identity and audience relevance. Influencers working over time develop genuine insight into the products and values they represent, producing content that feels credible and informed. The research found that organisations most satisfied with their influencer relationships were more than three times as likely to involve influencers directly in content creation.

Secondly, continuous engagement enables learning and optimisation. While campaign-based approaches offer feedback only after completion, always-on models provide ongoing performance data, allowing teams to refine strategies in real time. Improvement becomes iterative rather than episodic.

Finally, 99% of teams operating always-on programmes reported them as effective, highlighting the remarkable reliability of this sustained approach.

What Always-On Success Requires

Effective execution requires both infrastructure and intent. The research shows that 52% of successful always-on programmes rely on dedicated influencer management platforms. This involves technologies designed to identify, manage, and measure influencer partnerships efficiently. These tools make it possible to sustain multiple relationships without overextending internal resources.

Equally important is education. Half of the top-performing organisations invest in training and development for their influencers, not to teach them content creation, but to deepen their understanding of the brand’s narrative and strategic objectives. One respondent noted that technology and training work best in tandem, building relationships grounded in mutual clarity and trust.

Selection rigour also increases in long-term models. Organisations pursuing multi-year partnerships are 1.5 times more likely to apply thorough selection criteria, ensuring alignment not only in audience but in professionalism, reliability, and strategic fit.

Budgets, Priorities, and the Investment Shift

TopRank Marketing’s research highlights a clear connection between programme maturity, sustained engagement, and budget growth. Among the most advanced influencer programmes, 72% have dedicated budgets expected to increase within the next year. For organisations still in the exploratory phase, that figure drops to 26%.

This growth reflects confidence in measurable returns. Investment typically centres on technology (43%), research and audience analysis (43%), and performance measurement (37%), priorities that can strengthen both programme scalability and accountability.

Interestingly, 76% of C-suite leaders reported rising influencer marketing budgets, indicating growing recognition of its strategic contribution at executive level.

Integration and Influence

Nearly half of marketers surveyed (49%)  identified cross-channel integration of influencer content as the leading trend heading into 2025. This aligns naturally with the always-on approach, which produces a steady stream of material suitable for repurposing across touchpoints.

Successful organisations weave influencer content into brand engagement (53%), employee advocacy (52%), and co-created assets (49%). This integration amplifies both visibility and credibility, extending the influence of partnerships beyond the influencer’s immediate audience.

Ryan Bares, Global Social Influencer Manager at IBM, outlined in the report that always-on strategies hinge on consistent relationship-building, data-driven decision-making, multi-platform presence, and strong content planning. Together, these elements sustain brand relevance and narrative continuity.

Acknowledging the Challenges

Even mature programmes face operational challenges. Finding the right influencers remains a key difficulty for 48% of marketers. With long-term partnerships, a poor match becomes more costly and disruptive than in short-term campaigns.

Relationship management also demands discipline. 40% of marketers reported struggling with ongoing engagement, even when outcomes were strong. Maintaining authenticity and collaboration requires time, communication, and organisational capacity.

Strong leadership support is non-negotiable. Just 46% of marketers report encouragement from senior leaders, yet top-performing programmes are four times more likely to have it. This is proof that long-term impact depends on backing from the top.

Turning Insight into Action

For many B2B brands, influencer marketing still functions as an occasional exercise, whether thats a product launch, an event, or a single campaign. The data suggests that this fragmented approach is limiting.

TopRank Marketing’s research found that organisations without an always-on strategy are 17 times more likely to report underperformance. Conversely, 58% of teams have already adopted the model, and a further 49% plan to do so within the next year. 

Transitioning to always-on does not need to be immediate. Organisations can begin by identifying one or two influencers suited to long-term partnership, testing sustained engagement on a smaller scale, and expanding based on measurable results.

Sustainable influence stems from continuity, from relationships built on trust, understanding, and shared purpose. Organisations that embrace this reality are not only achieving stronger results; they are redefining what success in B2B influencer marketing looks like.