Influencer culture has become the pulse of our society.
However, when we speak about marketers working with influencers, we tend to think of the big guys with millions of followers.
But micro-influencers are where it's at right now. Yep, you read that right! Micro-influencers are exactly who you should be collaborating with if you want to see results.
Scroll on as media update's Saads Abrahams zooms in on exactly why marketers should be working with micro-influencers.
What is a micro-influencer?
Before we go too deep into why you should work with them, let's take a look at exactly what a
micro-influencer is. A
micro-influencer is a person on social media who
creates specific content that other people view as reliable.
To be considered a micro-influencer, they typically need to have between 10 000-100 000 followers and have a high engagement rate.
Why marketers should work with them
Now, as a marketer, you might be thinking, "Why should I work with them if they don't have as many followers as a mega or macro-influencer?"
Well, there are a few reasons why they are the better creators for your brand.
Let's break these reasons down for you.
Availability
So, you have a campaign that is going live in a month or so, and you need to collab with an influencer. Macro and mega influencers are in high demand and have a lot of other deals and contracts already going on.
This means the quality of the posts that they create for you might not be as amazing as you'd hoped, or they might not be available to post when you need them to.
Micro-influencers, on the other hand, probably don't have as many collaborations going on at the same time This means you have a
higher chance of getting them to work with
your schedule while still creating incredible content for your brand.
Authenticity
Bigger influencers who have a million-and-one sponsored posts are getting a bad rep for creating any content
just for the money. For an influencer to be successful,
authenticity is key.
Micro-influencers are seen as extremely reliable sources by their followers. This is because they put a lot of thought into the content for the brands they work with. They are also seen as more relatable than the bigger influencers and celebrities. And, if you work with one of them, it means a greater ROI for your brand.
Engagement
You may feel that working with a micro-influencer
won't be worth it because they have a much smaller following than you would like. But it's important to note that these influencers tend to
have a higher engagement and conversion rate.
The reason for this — despite their smaller following — is due to their passionate and loyal followers. This is great for your marketing efforts because their followers are actually paying attention to what the micro-influencers are saying.
Niche market
Micro-influencers have a more
targeted audience than macro or mega-influencers. What they post about is what they are truly passionate about.
Now, as a marketer, this is great! If your brand aligns with their niche market, you are going to reach the exact audience you are looking to engage with. This links back to their authenticity and credibility within this space, as it's a given that their followers will pay attention to what they are posting about.
Affordability
The
crème de la crème for marketers working with micro-influencers has to do with how much these
creators charge. Macro and mega-influencers come with a
hefty price tag because of the number of followers they have.
The pricing also has to do with the type of content you want posted on their page. For example, a 30-second TikTok video or Reel is going to cost you much more than a picture with some product placement.
Micro-influencers have a smaller following, which means they are more affordable to work with. Got a bigger budget? You score an even bigger win here! Marketers are then able to collaborate with multiple micro-influencers, generating more ROI overall.
What are your thoughts on working with a micro-influencer? Let us know in the comment section below.
If you want to find out more about the different types of influencers, then be sure to take a squiz at our article, A stellar guide to influencers [Infographic].