We’ve all heard the expression bigger is better, but micro-influencers are showing why greatness comes from small things. What are micro-influencers, you ask? They’re everyday people with a passion who want to share it with others. To get more technical, micro-influencers are social media gurus with followers of anywhere between 10,000 to 100,000 on Instagram. They are at the fore-front of influencer marketing, with their recommendations making a difference to the right people. Brands use them to target a niche audience rather than casting a wide net with macro-influencers like celebrities.
Micro vs Macro
It’s all about the audience. If a sports brand wants to promote a new protein powder, they could pay a celebrity to endorse it and the product may be seen by millions. But, the audience may only be paying attention to the person and not the product. The same brand can reach out to a micro-influencer who’s passionate about fitness and the product will be promoted to a smaller group of people who have the same interests. Here is the power of micro-influencers at work; they offer real, authentic opinions and their audience trusts them.
Brands also benefit from high returns on marketing investments because working with a number of micro-influencers allows them to launch multiple campaigns.
Put into action
A good example of a micro-influencer’s ability to engage with audiences can be seen in a study released in March by Experticity. The study showed they have up to 22.2 times more conversations that include product recommendations each week than an average customer. 82% of consumers were said to follow the recommendations of a micro-influencer.
Micro-influencing proved to be beneficial to Gap in 2015 with their ‘Styld.by’ campaign, which is a community of influencers who styled their own look based on Gap clothing. People like singer-songwriter, Caitlin Crosby, took part and shared her look with 40,000 followers on Instagram. The campaign worked because the brand were able to tap into a base of loyal customers and get the influencers to share the content among their own following.
How to find micro-influencers
So, how do you go about finding these mini miracle workers? Start by searching all your social media channels for the people who love your product the most. Then look for hashtags and key words that are relevant to the business and find out what’s being said about it.
When you’ve built up a relationship, make sure to set expectations early on to avoid problems cropping up later. Ensure the micro-influencer knows your brand and they share the relevant hashtags with their followers. For the most successful result, allow the influencer to be creative and let their self-expression come naturally. Authenticity is why their followers believe in them.
Micro-influencers demonstrate how useful Instagram is as a social media tool. By mixing passion with photo sharing, regular people have found themselves a voice in a world dominated by celebrity endorsements. Could this be enough to usher in the future of influencer marketing? Only time will tell, but there’s no denying micro-influencers are here to stay.