260 Yuliya Gorenko - Building Authentic Relationships: Influencer Marketing for SaaS Brands

What if influencer marketing wasn’t just for fashion brands and B2C companies? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Yuliya Gorenko, an influencer marketing expert at Mischka Agency, to uncover how B2B SaaS companies can leverage influencers for sustainable growth.

Yulia has built influencer programs for SaaS brands like SE Ranking, Hack Chinese, and UnaCheck, scaling them from 0 to 8 figures. In this episode, she reveals how to find the right influencers, build lasting relationships, measure ROI, and avoid the biggest influencer marketing mistakes in the SaaS space.

Key Takeaways

00:00 – Introduction: Influencer marketing for SaaS—does it work?

03:20 – B2B vs. B2C influencer marketing: What’s the difference?

06:45 – How to pick the right influencers for SaaS marketing

12:10 – Why influencer marketing is a long-term game

18:30 – Finding the right platform: LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter?

25:50 – How SaaS companies can create viral influencer campaigns

32:40 – Best metrics to track ROI on influencer marketing

41:15 – AI influencers: Future of marketing or a total gimmick?

49:30 – Why human influencers outperform AI-generated influencers

56:20 – How to balance brand messaging & influencer authenticity

1:03:10 – How SaaS founders can start an influencer campaign today

Tweetable Quotes

"B2B influencer marketing isn’t just a campaign—it’s a long-term strategy." – Yuliya Gorenko

"SaaS buyers need multiple touchpoints. Influencers can accelerate that journey." – Jeff Mains

"AI influencers might be the future, but human trust is irreplaceable today." – Yuliya Gorenko

"Measuring influencer ROI is more than sales—it’s about trust, visibility, and conversions." – Jeff Mains

SaaS Leadership Lessons

📢 Influencer marketing in SaaS = trust + consistency – It’s not about quick sales.

📈 B2B influencer marketing requires more touchpoints – Buyers take longer to convert.

🚀 AI influencers are NOT the future – People trust real humans over CGI characters.

🎯 Measuring ROI is tricky – Engagement, conversions, and long-term impact matter.

💡 The best influencer partnerships feel authentic – If it looks like an ad, it won’t work.

Guest Resources

Website - https://mischka.agency/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliya-gorenko/

Episode Sponsor

Small Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel’

Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/

SaaS Fuel Resources

Website - https://championleadership.com/

Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmains

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/

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