Influencer marketing is one of the most powerful forms of marketing today. But the term “influencer” is thrown around frequently in our current culture. The truth is, there are many different kinds of influencers.
If you’re trying to create a new marketing plan and want to integrate influencers into it, your first thought might be “the bigger the better”.
But not so fast: micro influencers are said to be even more influential than influencers with millions of followers. They are also cheaper.
But before making a plan of action, it’s important to understand what comes with working with different kinds of influencers.
What is a Micro Influencer?
Micro influencers are individuals on social media that have between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Due to their smaller following, they come across as more authentic and genuine. Followers have an easier time trusting these influencers and making a genuine connection with them. There are many reasons for this higher level of trust, but the most impactful one is that they don’t come across as “sellouts”.
When they are talking about a product or company, it is more likely they are doing so because they truly like it rather than because they are getting a big paycheck. When and if they do grow, their followers will still follow them because they already have an established relationship with them.
A study done by Experticity shows that 82% of consumers are more likely to act on a recommendation if it comes from a micro influencer. Most of these influencers can recommend a product because they have actually used it before and are not getting their thoughts and opinions off of a script. This is an important part of the micro influencer experience, as it proves to be more authentic and reliable.
If your hope is to connect with potential customers rather than just reach a large number of people, this might be your next best plan of action.
Finding a Micro Influencer
To start, do your research. It’s important to know what community you are trying to reach, and you can then determine a micro influencer to work with based off that. You should also look into who has been talking about your brand or company recently.
If you can find a micro influencer that is already talking about your product, it will be much easier to get them on board. By working with someone who has mentioned your product before, it shows that you pay attention to your customers, their opinions, and want to know more. To a micro influencer, the recognition from a brand can be just as encouraging and impactful as a paycheck.
Although it’s important to find an influencer with a good following, it’s equally as important to find someone who matches your brand’s voice and mission. Ensure that the messaging and personal story that they promote can naturally blend with your brand too.
If you can’t find a micro influencer that already speaks about your product, the next best thing is to find someone with whom it would make sense to talk about your product.
On a tight budget? Sometimes offering products is just as good as money. If they are already using your product, there’s a chance the money you give them would go towards buying your products anyways, so gifting them some can be equally as exciting and even more memorable.
Don’t Just Look at the Number of Followers
According to Forbes, the ratio of likes to comments and followers will peak when an account has around 1,000 followers, with a 60% higher engagement rate.
So don’t limit who you reach out to based off of followers; someone with 1,000 could be just as impactful as someone with 10,000. What matters is if their followers trust them, and care about what they have to say.
Find a Way to Stand Out
Make sure you stand out from other brands that may be reaching out. Although these influencers are “smaller”, it doesn’t mean less people want to work with them. It may actually mean that more companies are trying to collaborate with them. Be unique with your product and your approach to working with others and you may stand out too.
As much as you have to choose to work with an influencer, they have to also choose to work with you. It’s common that micro influencers will say no to brand deals if their beliefs don’t match up with those of a brand. To these influencers, it’s about more than just money, they want to be trusted and provide their followers with their genuine opinions and only share products they would really use.
Final Words
Look at pictures your product is mentioned and tagged in, search through your followers, and do your research. Finding a micro influencer to work with could be one of the most game-changing steps you take to get achieve brand growth.
