Wasting money on the wrong influencers?

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Most B2B influencer campaigns fail because marketers picked the wrong person.

It's easy to get starstruck by follower counts, engagement rates, or viral posts. Then they write a check and cross their fingers.

The result? Campaigns that feel forced, audiences that don't convert, and budgets that disappear with nothing to show for it.

But the cold, hard truth is that not all influencers are created equal. And follower count isn't an automatic qualification — it's just a signal.

I've seen many marketers lose their credibility because they picked influencers who looked good on paper but couldn't deliver results.

My recent conversation with Aneesh Lal (the "Jerry Maguire of LinkedIn") reminded me of this.

He runs Wishly Group, the biggest B2B creator agency in North America. They manage 40+ creators and run 100+ campaigns per month for brands like LinkedIn, Notion, and Adobe.

But here's what's interesting: Aneesh has a 25-person waitlist of creators who want representation, yet he turns down talent regularly.

Why?

Because not everyone who can create content can actually influence buying decisions.

This selectivity wasn't handed to him. It was earned through trial and error, failed campaigns, and developing a systematic approach to evaluating talent.

So today I'm sharing his 3 C's framework to help you pick influencers who will move the needle for your business.

These are the criteria I learned during our conversation. And they're things most marketers haven't considered when building their influencer strategy.

Some will be immediately applicable, and others you'll need as your program matures. It just depends on your current budget, goals, and how sophisticated your influencer marketing becomes.

Ready? Let's ride.

The 3 C's Framework for Influencer Selection

C #1: Credibility (Do they actually know their stuff?)

Every B2B influencer needs subject matter expertise that your audience respects.

This isn't about having the fanciest job title or the biggest company logo on their LinkedIn banner.

It's about depth of knowledge that comes through in their content.

Aneesh tests for this during creator interviews by asking detailed questions about their expertise area. Can they go deep? Do they understand nuance? Or are they just regurgitating surface-level advice?

Red flags to watch for:

Generic advice that could apply to any industry
Inability to discuss specific tools, processes, or methodologies
Content that feels like it was written by ChatGPT
No real-world examples or case studies

Green lights to look for:

Specific, actionable insights based on experience
Ability to discuss trade-offs and nuance
References to actual tools, tactics, and results
Content that teaches rather than just inspires

C #2: Charisma (Can they actually hold attention?)

This is about retention, not just reach.

You need someone who can garner and maintain audience attention in a world where everyone is scrolling fast and distracted.

But charisma in B2B isn't the same as entertainment. It's about making complex topics accessible and engaging.

Think about the creators whose content you actually read versus those you scroll past. What's the difference?

The charismatic ones have a point of view. They take stands. They make you think or feel something.

Red flags to watch for:

Boring, corporate-speak content
No distinct voice or personality
Low engagement relative to follower count
Content that feels like press releases

Green lights to look for:

Distinctive writing style or content format
Consistent engagement from their audience
Ability to make dry topics interesting
Comments that show genuine audience interaction

C #3: Character (Will they represent your brand well?)

This is the hardest to assess but the most important to get right.

Character isn't about being perfect. It's about being trustworthy, authentic, and aligned with your brand values.

Aneesh is brutal about this:

"There are some creators who are so good on paper and people ask me, 'Why wouldn't you sign so-and-so?' I have a list of people I will never sign because I know what they're like when they've had a few drinks at a conference or how they treat people behind the scenes."

Why this matters: Your influencer becomes an extension of your brand. Their reputation becomes tied to yours. One bad incident can undo months of positive association.

How to evaluate character:

Ask your network about their experiences with this person
Look at how they interact with followers in comments
Pay attention to controversial topics and how they handle disagreement
Check if their private behavior matches their public persona

The Bottom Line

Most influencer marketing failures happen at the selection stage, not the execution stage.

You can have the perfect brief, flawless campaign strategy, and generous budget. But if you pick the wrong person, none of that matters.

The 3 C's framework forces you to evaluate what actually drives results: expertise your audience trusts, personality that holds attention, and character that protects your brand.

Don't get seduced by vanity metrics. Ask the hard questions upfront. Your campaign's success depends on it.

If you want more insights on building effective influencer partnerships, I suggest watching my full conversation with Aneesh on YouTube or listening on Spotify.

There are a lot more tactical details and examples that will help you avoid expensive mistakes.

Holler at you later,
Devin

Pen by Devin Reed
Founder, The Reeder

Follow me on LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram