Tipping Point: Why it's time to embrace the full potential of trade influencers

We’re not here to tell you that influencer marketing is anything new. No longer just a consumer phenomenon, recent research suggests that 75% of B2B marketers are using influencers as part of their marketing mix. But most are only scratching the surface of the full potential that engaging influencers can offer brands in the built environment. So how can you make sure that you, and your brand, are at the forefront of this growing movement?

Why trade influencers matter

Your average plumber or P&D didn’t wake up one morning and decide they wanted to be internet famous (maybe one or two did!). The whole idea of trade influencers was borne out of a very specific need; a need for connection in a world where many of these people work in isolation for long stretches of time. That need is most acute among younger trades who have grown up in a fully connected world, but it also exists for older tradespeople who are increasingly using platforms like Instagram and Facebook to stay connected and continue to learn.

By building public profiles and online communities with fellow tradespeople, they found a space to share knowledge, exchange ideas and best practice, and showcase their skills. That peer-to-peer engagement and validation is worth 100x more than any advert or promotional content from a brand, especially for younger audiences who bring a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to absorbing and translating marketing messages. That might be painful to hear, but it’s true.
What this does provide is the opportunity for brands to engage with these influencers in a meaningful way and use their endorsement for products and services they love to deliver some impactful results.

Making it meaningful

This focus on products and services that trades truly buy into is key. Performance means everything. This is where there’s a stark difference with consumer influencers. Any trade influencer worth their salt won’t take cash from just anyone, their professional reputation hinges on who they work with. While they’re open to trying new things, you’ve got to be prepared for honesty.

As a marketer, you need to take the time to get to know the influencers you are working with. Understand what products they use day-in, day-out. Understand what matters to them and why the product or service you’re promoting can make their life easier. Then, as hard as it feels, make sure you’re offering them creative control so that they can work with you in an authentic way.

Cutting the strings

We’re not suggesting that you don’t cover yourself with a proper agreement or a direction of travel, but this shouldn’t dictate the specifics of all the content these people will create on your behalf. It needs to ring true to their public persona and give them the flexibility to deliver something they’re proud of and help establish a long-term relationship with your brand.

Taking this approach means that your work with influencers will extend beyond short-term reach. It will build brand credibility where it matters most: through the voices of people who use your products every day. Doing this means you’ve got to rethink your relationship: these are collaborators and ambassadors, not contractors. Allowing them to be authentic will lead to sustained advocacy, a stronger reputation and deeper brand loyalty – with hopefully some referral traffic thrown in along the way.

From strength to strength

Nothing in this world is standing still. Platforms are evolving and peer-to-peer networks for trades are becoming even more powerful. We’re already seeing influencers leading micro-communities and using their hands-on experience to work with brands on product development and across huge events.

Take bricklaying as an example. It might not be top of the list of trades where you’d expect a huge influencer community to be developing, but you’d be wrong. Some influencers are racking up over 100k followers on Instagram and bricklaying even has its own championship – Super Trowel – which positions itself more as a gaming convention or sporting championship than a trade event. Its event coverage on social media was fronted by Mark Tiff (@mjtiff_plumbingandheating) who has his own engaged community of 25k followers through his popular Trade Legends podcast.
Brickies aren’t alone, there’s massive growth in influencer communities across plumbing, carpentry, and painting and decorating – all trades where a show of skill can be perfectly captured on video and shared.

So, what’s next?

Like most things in life this constant evolution presents both a challenge and an opportunity. As marketers we need to let go of a top-down marketing mindset and embrace collaboration and a decentralised approach. Those who do will find themselves not just keeping pace with change but helping to lead it.

The question is no longer whether trade influencers matter, but whether your brand is ready to treat them as true partners. Those who are willing to share control, invest in authentic relationships, and think long-term will be the ones to earn lasting influence in the built environment.

Key Considerations:

• The right partners – look for influencers who already love or value your products. Their endorsement will be genuine.

• Take your time – getting to know them is vital. Understand their audience and tone to make sure they’re a good fit for your brand.

• Collaboration is key – give them creative freedom. Provide them with tools and pointers, not scripts.

• Rethink measurement – go beyond like. Track referrals, product adoption and community sentiment.

• Think long-term – develop real partnerships to build authenticity over time.