Guy O'Brien: Working with Thought Leaders & Influencers for Effective Social Media Content panel

2025

Apr 14

At SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Festival 2025, hosted at Phantom Peak London, we are excited to welcome Guy O’Brien, CEO & Founder of Custom Influence. With over two decades of experience in B2B digital media and marketing, Guy has founded and led businesses across various aspects of the digital media landscape. Now focusing on influencer marketing for B2B, he’s bringing fresh perspectives to an industry that’s still finding its feet in the space.

About Guy

Guy O'Brien is the CEO & Founder of Custom Influence, a company focused on influencer marketing within the B2B space. With over 20 years of experience in digital media, Guy has worked across the publisher, agency, network, and startup sectors, buying, planning, and selling almost every digital media concept imaginable. In the last decade, he founded and successfully sold the UK's first independent B2B programmatic specialist. Now, Guy is bringing his expertise to influencer marketing for B2B, helping brands harness the power of thought leaders to reach their audience.

What to Expect from the Session: "Working with Thought Leaders & Influencers for Effective Social Media Content"

In this panel session, Guy O’Brien will join Alison Battisby to share insights into working with influencers in a B2B context. They will discuss how to successfully incorporate influencer marketing into your B2B strategy, providing tips on how to position this growing channel to clients or managers. Attendees will learn how to engage with thought leaders effectively and drive successful outcomes for their business.

Key Areas of Focus

B2B Influencer Marketing: Guy will share his expertise on how to leverage influencers in the B2B space to create impactful social media content.
Positioning Influencer Marketing to Clients: Learn how to pitch and present influencer marketing strategies to clients or managers who may not yet fully understand the potential of this channel.
Successful Outcomes: Guy will provide practical examples and tips for running successful influencer campaigns that drive results.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will leave with:

A better understanding of how to integrate influencer marketing into a B2B framework.
Tips for presenting influencer marketing to clients and internal stakeholders.
Insights into how video content is changing the game for B2B social media.

What’s Exciting in Social Media Right Now

In the last 12 months, Guy has been particularly excited by the growing role that video is playing in B2B social media. As platforms continue to evolve, video has proven to be an incredibly effective medium for reaching and engaging business audiences.

What Challenges Lie Ahead in the Online Marketing Landscape?

Looking to the future, Guy is concerned about the increasing difficulty of organic social media growth, which is being squeezed by algorithm changes and platform restrictions. Additionally, global economic challenges and tightening trade conditions are expected to create further obstacles for digital marketers.

A Social Media Success Story

One of Guy's proudest moments in social media was becoming HubSpot’s agency of record for influencer marketing in the UK & Ireland in December. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Custom Influence, demonstrating the agency's capability in delivering effective influencer strategies for high-profile clients.

Connect with Guy

Want to keep up with Guy and the work he's doing at Custom Influence? Follow him here:

Website: custominfluence.com

Guy joins a lineup of leading industry professionals at SocialDay's Social Media Marketing Festival 2025, where top minds in social media marketing will share their insights and expertise.