(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
As China’s B2B buying process becomes increasingly digitalized, decision-makers are no longer relying solely on sales teams or trade exhibitions. Instead, they are turning to trusted industry voices for insights, validation, and technology recommendations. For overseas brands entering China, leveraging professional opinion leaders has become a scalable way to build credibility, shorten sales cycles, and support SaaS-driven growth across complex B2B sectors.
1. Identifying the Right Industry Opinion Leaders
1.1 Vertical Expertise Over Follower Size
In China’s B2B environment, influence is defined by professional authority rather than mass reach. Overseas brands should prioritize consultants, analysts, and technical experts who publish regularly on platforms such as Zhihu, WeChat, and industry forums. These voices often shape procurement logic and vendor shortlists within specific sectors like SaaS, manufacturing software, or enterprise services.
1.2 Platform-Specific Relevance
Different platforms serve different stages of the buyer journey. Zhihu supports problem-driven discovery, WeChat enables long-form education, while Bilibili is increasingly used for technical explainers and product walkthroughs. Selecting influencers based on platform-behavior alignment ensures content meets buyers at the right decision stage.
2. Structuring Content for B2B Decision-Making
2.1 Educational Narratives Instead of Promotions
Chinese B2B audiences respond poorly to overt advertising. Successful campaigns focus on frameworks, benchmarks, and operational insights rather than direct product pushes. Overseas brands should co-create content that positions solutions as part of a broader industry discussion rather than standalone sales messages.
2.2 SaaS Use Cases and Workflow Demonstrations
Demonstrating how software integrates into existing workflows builds trust faster than feature lists. Influencers can showcase real operational scenarios, data dashboards, or process optimizations that resonate with procurement teams and CTOs evaluating SaaS solutions.
3. Long-Term Collaboration Models
3.1 Always-On Expert Partnerships
One-off campaigns rarely build sufficient trust in China’s B2B market. Long-term collaborations allow influencers to evolve from content creators into brand advocates. This continuity reinforces credibility and enables deeper storytelling around product updates and customer outcomes.
3.2 Knowledge IP Co-Creation
Some overseas brands co-develop whitepapers, research reports, or webinar series with industry experts. These assets extend beyond traffic generation and support lead nurturing, CRM integration, and sales enablement across the funnel.
4. Performance Measurement Beyond Traffic
4.1 Lead Quality and Sales Attribution
B2B influence should be measured by lead relevance rather than impressions. Integrating campaign tracking with CRM systems helps overseas brands assess pipeline contribution, conversion velocity, and deal size influenced by expert-led content.
4.2 Content Longevity and Search Visibility
Well-structured expert content continues generating inbound leads months after publication. Optimizing for Baidu SEO and WeChat search ensures long-term visibility and sustained ROI.
Case Study: Industrial SaaS Provider Entering East China
A European industrial SaaS company partnered with two automation consultants active on Zhihu and WeChat Channels. Through a six-month content program focused on factory digitization benchmarks and system integration insights, the brand generated qualified leads from mid-size manufacturers. Over 40% of demo requests referenced influencer content as their first point of brand exposure.
Conclusion
Leveraging trusted industry voices is no longer optional for overseas brands targeting China’s B2B market. When executed with the right experts, platforms, and SaaS-aligned content strategies, influence-driven campaigns can accelerate trust, improve lead quality, and support long-term growth.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
